A to Z of Elizabeth's Childhood
by pookiepoodle
Summary: What if Meliodas and the sins never left the castle? What is Meliodas got to watch Elizabeth grow up? This the A to Z of Elizabeth's Childhood with lots of melizabeth!
1. Anger and Angels

**Hi cuties! I hope you enjoy this. Now as a note, let's pretend that Meliodas never left the castle and was there whilst Elizabeth grew up. Enjoy!**

Meliodas sighed as he watched the royal family enter the ballroom. When King Bartra and Queen Caroline agreed to adopt Elizabeth, they'd decided to host a ball to announce her to the kingdom. The king had also fulfilled Meliodas' request, allowing him to become Holy Knight of Liones and to guard the infant princess.

The royal family was a sight to behold. They were all perfect and wore blue silks with silver threading. But Meliodas could only see the baby held in the Queen's arms.

Elizabeth had soft silver hair which was still short. Her big blue eyes took in her surroundings and her little plump lips would open and close at random.

Meliodas wasn't the only one who was spellbound. All the guests seemed to be taken with the little baby, cooing at her and begging to hold her. No one was allowed to though. Meliodas made sure of that.

"What's up Caroline?" Meliodas grinned. The queen turned and smiled fondly at the man.

"I was wondering if you could take Elizabeth for a moment, sir Meliodas," the queen calmly asked," I'm feeling a little tired."

Within seconds, the baby was in the Holy Knight's arms and the Queen had chosen to sit down. The King immediately rushed over.

"Are you alright love?" he asked, his eyes widened with concern. The Queen smiled and patted his cheek.

"I'm fine dear. Just a little tired."

"I'll call for the nursemaid," Bartra announced before turning to a servant. Meliodas' expression soured.

The nursemaid wasn't trustworthy in his opinion. There was something that seemed to be off whenever he saw her. He hated to place his beloved Elizabeth in this woman's care, but it wasn't his decision.

"Hello baby!"

The plump woman waddled over and snatched the baby out of Meliodas' arms, causing a slight cry from Elizabeth. Meliodas felt his wrath surge at that moment and his hand was on his sword on a flash. However, he had to control himself. This wasn't the time nor place. He closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down.

He'd see her soon.

…

Later that evening, Meliodas was still on edge. He'd tried to drink but found himself unable to. Many ladies came up to him, their corsets pushing up their assets and fluttering their eyelids. Normally he'd have the patience to kindly reject them but tonight, he rejected them without any care.

Finally, he'd had enough. He snuck out the ballroom and up the stone stairs, to the nursery.

As he neared the room, he heard Elizabeth whimpering.

"Shut it, ya wee demon bastard!"

Meliodas froze. His eyes filled with darkness and he began to rush to the room, slamming the door open. His eyes hardened to see the nurse standing over Elizabeth, a sneer on her face. The nursemaid jumped back at his arrival.

"Ah, Sir Mel-"

She was interrupted as he slammed her against a wall, one hand wrapped around her neck. She began to cough, feebly scratching at his hand in an attempt to escape.

"Why should I let a creature like you live?" he sneered.

"Sir Meliodas!"

The blonde man turned to see the King and Queen staring at him with horror and disgust.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" King Bartra roared as guards entered the room.

Meliodas scoffed and tossed the woman to the floor.

"That woman dared to insult Elizabeth," Meliodas said in a low hard tone.

"Excuse me?" Queen Caroline said her voice hardening, before turning to the coughing woman on the floor.

"I haven't done anything!" the nursemaid cried out.

"YOU CALLED HER A DEMONIC BASTARD!" Meliodas roared, unsheathing his sacred treasure. But before he could do anything, Caroline had already beat him to it, kicking the woman repeatedly.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY BABY!" she screeched.

The guards rushed in and grabbed the woman, having to hold her up.

"I haven't done anything wrong," the woman weakly said," She's a demonic wee bastard."

"GET HER OUT!" King Bartra yelled. The guards dragged the woman off, her protests ignored.

Elizabeth began to whimper again. Caroline turned to her, but suddenly began coughing. King Bartra caught her and held her up.

"I think I need to rest," the queen whispered. Bartra nodded and picked her up bridal style. Before he left, he turned back to Meliodas.

"Would you mind watching over Elizabeth tonight?" the King asked.

"I'd do it for the rest of my life," Meliodas replied.

The King nodded and left, leaving Meliodas alone with the whimpering infant.

He went over and picked her out of her cradle, humming as he neared the window. Looking out at the night sky, he promised he'd protect this Elizabeth.

"You're my little Angel," he whispered into the sleeping baby's ear.


	2. Ban and Bananas

**Hi Cuties! Thanks for reading and here's the next chapter! Please review as I read them all.**

**Xx**

"C'mon Elizabeth," Meliodas begged as he used his puppy eyes on the baby," Just one bite!"

The baby refused to even open her little mouth.

Ever since Elizabeth could eat solids, it had been Meliodas' task to feed her. A task that was proving to be extremely difficult. She'd greedily suckle and gulp her warm milk, but the minute she saw the bowl and spoon, she would blanch.

Meliodas looked down at the bowl. It was weird pinkish gray color and smelled kinda funny.

"It can't be that bad," Meliodas joked as he put a bit in his mouth.

He froze.

It was horrible.

Scrambling around, he found a nearby plant pot and whilst Elizabeth giggled nearby, Meliodas emptied the contents of his stomach. Suddenly a large hand patted him on the back.

"You alright Captain?"

"Hey ban," Meliodas said weakly, turning to give his friend a weak grin. But Ban had moved on and was standing over the now quiet infant.

"Heeey baby!"

To the small Elizabeth, Ban looked like the Big Bad Wolf in the stories Meliodas would read to her, with his sharp eyes and sinister grin. Tears pooled in her baby blue eyes and she began to bawl.

_Slam._

Before anyone could blink, Meliodas had thrown Ban into the opposing wall and has scooped Elizabeth up, humming to soothe her.

Ban pulled himself out of the wall, bits of dust speckling his hair and jacket. He didn't even turn to admire the imprint he'd made in the ancient stones. With a cough, he turned to Meliodas, giving him a harsh glare as he neared the Dragon Sin.

"What the hell was that for?!" Ban snarled.

Meliodas' eyes hardened as he felt Elizabeth freeze up in his arms.

"You made Elizabeth cry. Apologize."

Ban paused, taking in the Captain's command before he doubled over, howling with laughter.

"What, are you serious?"

Ban stopped laughing when he felt the cold metal blade at his throat.

"Apologize now," Meliodas repeated, a demonic echo sending a shiver down Ban's spine.

"Fine, fine. I'm sorry," Ban groaned. However Elizabeth still seemed wary of the Fox Sin of Greed.

"So what's got you so green, Captain?" Ban asked the still sick Meliodas.

"I tried Elizabeth's food," Meliodas grimaced," It's worse than mine."

"Let me try," Ban grinned, the silver spoon now in his hand. Meliodas' eyes widened in horror.

"Ban, no!"

But it was too late. Ban had already put the silver spoon in his mouth. Turning a peculiar shade of green, he rushed to the poor plant pot and followed in Meliodas' path, heaving.

After a minute, Ban stood up and wiped his mouth. But unlike Meliodas, he now had a furious gleam in his eyes.

"Who made that?" Ban asked in a dangerous, low tone.

"I think it was the Head Chef."

Before Meliodas could stop him, Ban had already left. Meliodas followed him quickly, carrying the tiny princess in his arms.

When the duo arrived at the kitchen, Ban was already there.

"Who the hell made the princess' meal?" Ban bellowed, startling the kitchen staff. A small, plump man walked over.

"I did. I'm the Head Chef here."

Ban grabbed the man by the shirt and pulled him up to meet him face to face.

"How can you call yourself a chef? Your food is terrible!"

The chef went red, then purple. He began to splutter.

"I beg your-"

"What was in it, huh?" Ban asked in fury, shaking the tiny man," HUH?!"

" It's a mixture of pureed beetroot and mushrooms," the chef answered," Healthy and balanced."

"I'm so sorry," Meliodas whispered to Elizabeth.

Ban dropped the chef and walked over to a worktop, clearing it quickly. He then reached into his knapsack and pulled out a strange yellow object.

"What is that?" Meliodas asked.

Ban gave a sly grin before leaning against the worktop.

"Remember that mission we took a while back? The pesky sirens and that haunted island?"

"Oh yeah!" Meliodas said.

"When we were there, I found this strange tree in the middle of the island covered in these," Ban said, moving the fruit as he spoke," I grabbed some of them and planted some. They're sweet and pretty good."

"What are they called?"

"I called them BANanas," Ban grinned.

Meliodas rolled his eyes and was about to comment on the man's ego but the chef jumped in.

"Why have you brought this banana here, huh?" the chef demanded, his small eyes squinting at Ban.

"I'm making the princess something decent," Ban shrugged.

"Hang on!" the chef shrieked," You can't give that strange thing to the princess. I forbid it."

Meliodas decided to step in.

"I'm her carer so I say she can eat it," the blonde man said, ignoring the slacked jaws and widened eyes. Ban grinned and started to cook.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the sin cook. Even the Head Chef was impressed.

After peeling and dicing the banana, Ban shoved it in a bowl and used a fork to mash it. A sweet tropical aroma filled the air. Ban then turned to one of the assistants.

"Got any cinnamon?" Ban asked. The young assistant looked nervous, but nodded before scurrying off. A few moments later, Ban had his cinnamon. He sprinkled a little bit into the mush before mixing it in. He then placed some of it in a small dish with a silver spoon.

"Voila!" Ban exclaimed as he handed the concoction to Meliodas.

"Ready Elizabeth?" Meliodas cooed at the baby as they walked out the kitchen. The rest of them, including Ban and the Head Chef, followed them out into the dining hall. After sitting down at the table, Meliodas scooped up a little of the mix.

"I doubt she'll like it," the Head Chef muttered.

"Open wide!" Meliodas said. After a second or two, Elizabeth obeyed and Meliodas spooned some of the banana into her mouth.

Everyone held their breaths, even Ban.

Would she spit it out?

Nope.

Elizabeth gurgled and a smile appeared on her face. Whilst the Head Chef fainted, everyone else smiled and sighed with relief.

Thank goodness.

Looks like Ban and his bananas saved the day.


	3. Cupid and Cuddles

**Hi cuties! Please continue to read and review. By the way, what is your fave Seven Deadly Sins ship? Enjoy!**

**Xx**

Elizabeth knew she was about to be in big trouble. Even at the age of 3, she knew that breaking into Margaret's room was wrong. The ten year old girl always scolded Elizabeth when she caught her. But this time, Elizabeth knew she'd be in even more trouble. Why?

Because Margaret and Gilthunder were in the room.

Elizabeth had been looking for her teddy bear in Margaret's room when she'd heard her big sister's voice. Scared, she'd hidden in the wardrobe. She was able to peek out the crack.

Gilthunder and Margaret were sitting on the bed and both of them were holding little parcels.

"H-here you go, Margaret," Gilthunder stuttered as he held out the clumsily wrapped package to the princess," H-happy v-valentines d-day…"

Margaret took the package from him and opened it up. Elizabeth watched as her big sister admired the necklace. It was simple, with a little heart locket.

"Awww… this is beautiful," Margaret exclaimed," Can you help me put it on?"

Gilthunder went red and nodded. Margaret turned around and lifted up her lavender hair. Gilthunder fumbled with the clasp but managed to get it on. The princess turned back to the knight-in-training and held out a much more neatly wrapped gift.

"Here's yours Gil," Margaret blushed," Happy Valentines Day,"

Gilthunder tore off the paper to reveal the glimmer of metal. Inside was a dagger, with blue crystals embedded in the hilt.

"This is incredible!" Gil laughed, examining the blade," You're the best Margaret!"

The couple blushed and leaned in. Elizabeth watched, her eyes staring with interest.

Suddenly the dinner bell rang and the two youths broke apart, their faces the colors of red lobsters. Getting up, they left the room. Thankfully, in her dreamy mindset, Margaret didn't close the door. The youngest princess still had difficulty reaching doors.

Elizabeth slipped out of the room and hurried to dinner.

There was some kind of party going on so Elizabeth was to eat dinner with Meliodas in his chambers. She liked it in there. He always let her play and would tell her all kinds of stories.

"Meli!" Elizabeth called out. His long name was still quite difficult for her so he'd given her a simplified version to use. Suddenly Elizabeth felt herself being lifted into the air.

"Hey Ellie!" Meliodas grinned as he placed her on his hip," You ready for some chicken nuggets?"

"Yay!" Elizabeth cried out, a smile appearing on her face as they entered Meliodas' chambers.

As he was also Elizabeth's carer, he needed a place to stay permanently in the castle. The king had allowed him to use two rooms and after a little remodeling it was perfect.

Sitting her down at table, Meliodas grabbed the silver platter that had been sent to his room before Elizabeth arrived. He plated up the food and went back to the table.

Elizabeth grinned and began to eat her chicken nuggets with her fingers. After she finished her meal, Meliodas wiped her fingers with a napkin.

"Meli?" Elizabeth said in an uncertain tone. Meliodas looked up to see the toddler with a rather serious expression.

"What's up Ellie?"

"What's Vawentimes Day?"

Meliodas blinked, unprepared for the little princess' question. He quickly recovered though and looked down at the little girl.

"Where did you hear about that, Ellie?"

Elizabeth then told Meliodas about Gilthunder and Margaret. It took all of Meliodas' strength and willpower not to start laughing. Looks like the kiddo took his advice!

"So what is it?"

Meliodas pulled the little girl into his lap.

"It's a very important day where two people celebrate their shared love," Meliodas explained. He was worried he'd made it too complicated for the little girl, but Elizabeth was a very intelligent child and nodded.

"So do Maggie and Gil wuv each other?" Elizabeth asked. Meliodas nodded and Elizabeth smiled.

"Meliodas?"

"Yes?"

"Do you wuv me?"

Meliodas' heart seemed to stop. His eyes widened and he looked down at the little girl. Instead of seeing the tiny girl, he saw a grown woman with snowy wings. He'd been asked this question 106 times, yet he never grew tired of it. Meliodas gave a soft smile to Ellie and planted a kiss on her tiny little forehead.

"Of course I do."

"Will you be my vawentine?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course I will," Meliodas smiled," Forever and always."


	4. Dirt and Diane

"Why do I have to watch Elizabeth?" a voice whined.

"Because this town doesn't like giants and I trust you, Dee," a voice replied.

"Really?!" Diane squealed, her eyes widening.

"Yeah," Meliodas shrugged as he grabbed his bag," Promise you'll keep her safe?"

"Of course, Captain!" Diane grinned," You can count on me!"

…

With the rest of the Sins gone, Elizabeth was now placed in Diane's care. But the giant had no idea what to do with the tiny princess.

"What do human babies do?" Diane asked the oldest princess, Margaret.

"They like to play," Margaret smiled," And Elizabeth is not exactly a baby. She's a toddler."

"Oh," Diane replied," What do they play with?"

"Balls and dolls," Margaret replied, as she handed the giant a small sack," Here are some of Ellie's favourite toys."

"Thanks Princess!" Diane laughed as she grabbed the toys. She placed Elizabeth in her cleavage with the toys and left, waving goodbye to the red faced princess.

Diane wandered off into the country. It had been agreed that it wasn't practical to have the giant playing in the gardens. They were far too small.

Finally, they reached a decent sized space and Diane grinned.

"Perfect!" she cheered aloud.

Sitting down with a large thump, Diane began to fish around in her bosom, pulling out Elizabeth and the little bag of toys.

"Let's have some fun!"

30 minutes later.

This was a disaster.

Diane had managed to break every single toy Elizabeth had in the bag. The rubber ball had been thrown slightly too far, the china dolls made Diane look like a bull and all the other toys simply turned to dust in her massive fingers.

Elizabeth was sitting on the ground, a glum expression on her face and was scuffing her feet.

Diane was also upset. She'd failed to do as the Captain had asked of her and that broke her heart. She was always aiming to please Meliodas and always did well on the battlefield, but in tasks like this, she crumbled like one of his bad souffles.

"Hey Elizabeth, why don't we just go home-" Diane began turning before her eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, no!" Diane wailed, her heart sinking even more.

Elizabeth had been so bored that she decided to entertain herself by playing with some mud. Her pastel pink dress was caked in the stuff and she had little streaks on her face as well.

"You're all dirty!" Diane groaned but then she got an idea. An incredible, marvellous and dirty idea. A smile appeared on the giants face.

"Creation: Mud."

A big pile of mud appeared and Elizabeth squealed in delight. Diane knelt next to the princess and began to explain the way to make an excellent mud pie.

…

Meliodas and the other sins strolled up to the castle. The mission had been fairly easy and Meliodas was eager to get home to see his precious Ellie. Nearing the castle gates, he saw Margaret in the garden.

"Hey Maggie!" Meliodas grinned," Where's Ellie?"

"Over there," Margaret sighed, pointing to the lake.

There were Diane and Elizabeth, giggling away as they both got cleaned up.


	5. Eggs and Endeavours

Elizabeth wriggled in her tiny throne, impatient as usual. She glanced around and sighed loudly.

"Keep still, Elizabeth," Margaret chided as she herself was sat perfectly.

"Don't wanna," Elizabeth whined, kicking her feet.

"Please Ellie," Veronica begged.

"Ugh!"

The girls were sitting for a painting. The Three Sisters. Veronica sat in a gown of pale pink silk which she was eager to get out of. Margaret was in a gown of blue silk with a small tiara on her long tresses. In the middle, the five year old Elizabeth was sat in a gown of spring green with her hair combed out.

"Could someone please keep her still!" the royal painter exclaimed. But try as they might, the sisters were powerless against Elizabeth's wriggling.

"Hey Elizabeth!" a cheery voice suddenly called out. Immediately Elizabeth's eyes seemed to sparkle and smile flooded her face.

"Meli!" she cried out, wriggling off of her chair before scampering over to the Holy Knight. He picked her up, ignoring the protests from the painter and gave her a big kiss on the head. Elizabeth giggled in response to this.

"So what's going on guys?" Meliodas asked the sisters as he shifted the toddler to his hip.

"We're trying to have a painting done, but Elizabeth won't sit still," Margaret sighed," I don't know what to do."

"Hmmm…" Meliodas hummed before turning to Elizabeth," Ellie?"

"Hmmm?" Elizabeth copied.

"Do you want a present?" Meliodas grinned. At the word "present" Elizabeth's eyes lit up and she started to giggle.

"Present, present!" she cheered.

"I'll take that as a yes," Meliodas smiled, before seating Elizabeth on the chair," But you gotta sit nice for the painting, okay?"

"Hmmm… okay!" Elizabeth agreed. The rest of the group sighed with relief as Elizabeth stopped wriggling.

"Finally," the painter whispered to himself as he grabbed his paintbrush and once again began to paint.

…

Meliodas came back later to see that the painting was nearly done. It was truly a masterpiece. The sisters had been sent away as the final touches were merely cosmetic and did not require the girls to be there.

"Hey!" Meliodas waved to the painter who set down the brush and smiled back," I need a small favour!"

…

Later that night, Elizabeth sat in her room with her teddy bear, waiting for Meliodas to read her a bedtime story. Hearing footsteps, she snuggled under her blankets, excited. The door creaked open and there stood Meliodas, holding something in his hands. He went over and sat next to Elizabeth's bed, holding out the gift for her.

It was a Faberge Egg. It was silver, with little metallic feathers covering it. When she was older, Elizabeth would discover that on the bottom of the egg, there was a blood ruby, contrasting the pure white angelic feathers with it's darker meaning. Elizabeth awed at the egg and clicked the small button to reveal the treasure inside.

In the egg was a tiny portrait of Elizabeth in her silk green gown, sitting on Meliodas' lap. The look on her face was the expression the artist had seen when Meliodas had first arrived in the room. The expression on his face was a look of love, tender and gentle.

Elizabeth kept this present for many years and when Meliodas would go on missions, she would pull it out and trace the canvas with her fingertips, her eyes softening with love for the man in the painting.


	6. Fairies and Flying

**Hi cuties! So for this oneshot, we're going to pretend that King was in his true form as a Holy Knight and wasn't in his smelly, obese form. **

"Are you a weal faiwy?"

King sat, his jaw slack as he faced a tiny Elizabeth wearing a pair of sparkly pink wings. He'd been chatting to Diane (red faced obviously) and had been so close to asking her if she wanted to hang out later. Until he got asked the question.

"O-of c-course I am!" King stuttered.

"Where are your wings?"

King felt like slamming his head against the solid oak table. Repeatedly.

"Hey, that's a good question!" Diane added," So why don't you have wings?"

"W-well, y-you s-see," King nervously laughed.

"I get it!" a drunken voice laughed," You haven't hit puberty yet!"

"Shut up Ban!"

"Aww was that a little voice crack I heard?" Ban teased before he was smothered by Chastiefol.

KIng sighed and turned back to Elizabeth who was still staring up at him, waiting for an answer.

"How did this come about?" he asked the little princess.

"I can explain that one," Meliodas said, walking in to the room.

"Meli!" Elizabeth cheered, giving him a big hug. Meliodas chuckled and patted the little girl's head.

"Ellie wanted to be a fairy today," Meliodas explained," and asked me if I knew any fairies. I told her that I had a friend who was the King of the Fairies. She got so excited that she ran off to find you."

"Ahhh…" King sighed, understanding the situation.

"Where are your wings?" Elizabeth asked again.

"I don't have them yet," King explained, bending down to look at Elizabeth eye to eye.

"Why?" Elizabeth asked. King closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath.

"You see, Princess," King began," I'm the Fairy King. Meaning that my wings will be the biggest, most pretty wings out of all the other fairies. But because they're so special, they will only appear when I'm truly ready to receive them. Understand?"

Elizabeth just tilted her head in confusion at the lengthy explanation.

"Let me try," Meliodas chuckled before placing Elizabeth on his lap," Okay so you know how Margaret gets to wear fancy grownup dresses now."

Elizabeth thought for a second. Lately, Margaret had been wearing dresses like Mummy wore.

"Remember when you wanted to wear one?"

Again Elizabeth remembered the incident. They'd been at the royal dressmakers and Elizabeth wanted to wear what Margaret was wearing. It was only the compliments of Meliodas about her normal clothing that kept her calm and soothed her.

"Well, it's like that. King can't have his wings yet because he's not ready."

"Oh…" Elizabeth exclaimed before turning to King," He's little like me!"

Ban started to cry with laughter, Diane was giggling and King was red faced and spluttering.

"I… I can still fly!" King babbled. Elizabeth's eyes widened and she had a huge grin on her face.

"I wanna fly!" she squealed, looking back and forth between the fairy king and Meliodas.

"I don't know Ellie…." Meliodas began, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'll help you fly," King said. Meliodas turned to him, daggers in his eyes as Elizabeth began to yell from excitement.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Meliodas growled. King started to sweat.

"She'll be on Chastiefol," King explained," She'll be fine. Okay?"

"I swear to the heavens above, if she gets hurt…" Meliodas began, his hand itching to grab his sword.

"I swear upon my kingship," King said, his tone calm and clear.

"Deal," Meliodas replied as King strapped Elizabeth in.

…

Around half an hour later, King and Elizabeth came back. The princess' eyes were shining and her hair was windswept.

Meliodas ran up to them and pulled Elizabeth off Chastiefol, giving her a big hug.

"Did you have fun Ellie?" Meliodas cooed.

"I love flying!" Elizabeth smiled.


	7. Giggles and Griamore

Elizabeth sat at the massive table, a small smile on her face as she waited for her father to arrive. She was now a small 6 year old, her chubby cheeks smoothing down slightly and her once tiny legs becoming longer. She was also a bit of a prankster.

This was why she was so impatient as she waited for Meliodas to arrive for dinner. It was just a private dinner, so it wasn't too formal.

"Hello, my darlings!" her father cried out as he entered the room, his beautiful wife behind him," How are my precious girls today, hmm?"

"I am well, Father," Margaret said in a soft tone, a small smile on her face," My tutor's are advising me to try some more advanced books. May I look through your library?"

"Of course, Maggie," Bartra laughed, patting the 12 year old on the head, before turning to Veronica," And how are you?"

"Good," Veronica nervously laughed, her hand moving to her sleeve. However, Queen Caroline's eyes noticed the motion and went over to the middle child. Removing her hand, there was a large tear across her sleeve and a small cut.

"What happened?" Caroline gasped, before instructing the maid to bring some wipes and alcohol.

"Well, I was practicing my swordplay with Griamore and I didn't dodge quick enough," Veronica confessed as her mother grabbed a cloth dipped in alcohol and dabbed her arm," Ouch!"

"You need to be more careful," Caroline tutted, examining the now clean wound.

Across the room, the young Griamore was a nervous mess. He, along with Gilthunder, had been invited to the dinner. The memory of his precious Lady Veronica's cry as the sword cut her made him cringe with pain.

"Griamore…" King Bartra said in a rough tone.

"I am so sorry, Your Majesty!" Griamore cried out, falling to his knees," I have failed as a future Holy Knight and I am fully ready to receive my punishment."

Eyes closed, Griamore was shocked to hear a small chuckle. Opening one of his eyes, he looked up to see the King holding out a hand. Griamore took the King's hand and stood up, still in shock.

"Accidents happen, my boy," the King said gently," You must remember to be more careful in the future, understand?"

"Yes," Griamore exclaimed, relieved at the King's merciful behaviour. He glanced over to see Veronica give him a small thumbs up, causing him to go red again. But for very different reasons.

The King then turned to see the youngest princess staring up at him with a massive grin on her face.

"And how is my little Ellie?" The King smiled, bending down to look at Elizabeth in the eyes.

"We had lots of fun, didn't we Ellie?" a voice across the room exclaimed. Meliodas entered the dining room, stretching his arms as he yawned," We were just taking a nap, but I guess Ellie was excited to see everyone."

"Y-yes," King Bartra stuttered, a look of surprise on his face. Meliodas was confused by this as the King was known for his excellent speaking skills. Looking around the room, he noticed that there were some other things out of place.

Veronica was laughing whilst Queen Caroline tried to stop her, but she also had a small grin on her face. The servants were all staring at him with slack jaws. Margaret looked horrified as did Gilthunder. Griamore was covering his mouth and shaking. And most importantly, Princess Elizabeth was standing behind her father, giggling.

Tap. Tap.

Meliodas turned to see a young servant holding out a wet cloth and a hand mirror, visibly shaking.

"What's this for?" Meliodas asked cheerfully. The young girl took a deep breath before pressing the items into his hand.

"Y-You m-might w-want t-t-to w-wash u-up," the girl stumbled, her eyes averted to the ground as she quickly left. Curious, Meliodas held up the mirror and examined his face.

It appeared to be the artwork of a certain princess.

Meliodas had a small mustache, a circle round his eye, a big beard and some scribbles on his forehead. All done in black ink.

Slowly he put down the mirror and looked at the young princess who was still behind her father's large frame.

"Elizabeth," he began, beckoning her to come over.

Elizabeth gulped, before walking over. He sounded mad.

"Yes Meli?"

"You are…" Meliodas began, his tone still cold and his eyes darkened. Everyone in the room felt a sudden coldness run through them. They held their breaths.

"... so cute!"

Everyone sighed with relief as Meliodas cuddles the giggling Elizabeth. Only she could pull a stunt like that with the Dragon Sin of Wrath and get away with it.


	8. Harvests and Handouts

Meliodas stood outside the ballroom, listening to the dance instructor's shrill orders as the princesses received their dance lessons.

"Veronica! Keep your back straight. Ladies do not slouch when dancing."

Meliodas smirked at this, knowing that the tomboy princess hated this class with a passion. But his smirk quickly turned to an expression of worry as he heard Elizabeth give a soft squeak followed by a thump against the wooden floor.

"Elizabeth! You mustn't be so clumsy." the teacher sighed, her tone softening," We wouldn't want you to be covered in bruises, would we?"

"No," a small voice replied.

"Very good," the woman said in a cheerful tone," Margaret, perhaps you can give your sisters some pointers before our next lesson. Until then, keep practicing and soon you'll be ready for the Harvest Festival."

Soon, three exhausted girls walked out the dance room. Veronica was muttering to herself about how "dancing was stupid, whilst Margaret was fixing her hair. Elizabeth's tired expression immediately brightened when she saw Meliodas leaning against the wall.

"Hi Meliodas!" Elizabeth called out, causing the Sin to grin. He still loved the nickname "Meli" but to hear his full name from her was the best gift he'd ever received.

"Hey Ellie," Meliodas grinned as he wandered over to the smallest princess," How was your dance class?"

"Good," Elizabeth replied with a smile, before pouting slightly," I kept stumbling though."

"I'm sure it was very pretty," Meliodas insisted, bending down to tuck a stray silver lock behind the princess's ear," What's next then?"

"Boring things!" Elizabeth whined, which caused Meliodas to chuckle.

"What kind of 'boring things'?" Meliodas smiled.

"We've been called for a dressmaking session and then we're heading off to our lessons," Margaret answered, placing a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder," We have to hurry Ellie."

"I don't wanna go," Elizabeth pouted, crossing her tiny arms across her chest.

Margaret sighed, rolling her eyes. Elizabeth had recently become more stubborn about these things and Lord knew she couldn't deal with another boyish sister. Thankfully, Meliodas stepped in.

"How about if I tag along?" Meliodas suggested.

"Yay!" Elizabeth cheered, latching onto his hand.

"Thank you, Sir Meliodas," Margaret exclaimed, feeling a sense of relief wash over her as she watched her little sister hurry to the dress room with her carer in tow.

…

"What color, Meliodas?" Elizabeth asked, examining the different brightly colored scraps of cloth. She'd been given the chance to pick what color of dress she'd wear to the Harvest Festival and she was taking this new responsibility very seriously.

"Hmmm…" Meliodas exclaimed, examining y the clothes carefully, before holding up the turquoise silk," How about this one?"

"Pretty!" Elizabeth chirped, before rushing off to hand it to the seamstress who looked relieved that a decision had been finally reached. Her sisters had already selected their fabrics and waited patiently as Elizabeth wandered over to them.

"We need to head to class now, so say goodbye to Sir Meliodas," Margaret said to Elizabeth.

"Okay," Elizabeth said before turning to Meliodas," Bye Meliodas!"

"Bye Ellie," the blonde replied, laughing as he watched the youngest princess scamper off to her lessons.

…

The day of the Harvest Festival had arrived and Meliodas was impressed by the beautiful set up. Stalls were set up along the cobbled streets whilst the Centre had been covered in strings of lights and colorful fabrics. The smell of freshly baked sweets and other treats wafted around the city as people began to prepare for their individual feasts

Meliodas snickered as a group of children ran past him, screaming in excitement as they saw all the games and cakes awaiting them. Their parents soon followed, only lightly scolding them. After all, it was the Harvest Festival.

Soon, the musicians began to pluck their strings and couples began to dance in the Centre as the sun set, all laughing away and making merry. The dances were fast and lighthearted, unlike the formal waltzes seen at Balls.

Elizabeth, Veronica and Margaret all came out to dance as well, much to the delight of the crowd. The citizens of Liones loved the Royal Family and adored the three princesses. The girls each looked beautiful. Veronica wore a white blouse along with a violet skirt which she'd secretly had made into a culotte, much to her mother's horror. Margaret looked beautiful in her pale yellow silk gown which fell down her new and slight curves. But, to Meliodas, Elizabeth was by far the most beautiful in not only the trio, but the whole kingdom. The turquoise fabric made her silver hair shimmer and she had begun to stop wearing her dresses in children's styles as she was getting older. Now, the dress went just to the tops of her ankles and a silver ribbon laid at her waist. Her hair was in a bun with her bangs hanging down.

As the princesses stepped out, two Holy-Knights-In-Training stepped up to greet the ladies, their faces tinted pink. Griamore and Gilthunder stepped up to their respective partners and bowed nervously. Margaret shyly curtsied to her pink haired partner, a slight blush showing her happiness. Veronica bowed back to Griamore, a smirk on her face.

Meliodas followed in their steps, though not as nervous as the boys. With a smile, he bowed to Elizabeth who sweetly curtsied in response. Then the dancing began.

With each step and twirl, Elizabeth's smile only grew wider as her own cheeks became flushed. In turn, Meliodas couldn't help but laugh as he held her hand and spun her gently. Veronica and Griamore were having a difficult time as both originally intended to lead the other, however Veronica soon allowed herself to be led around the dancefloor. Gilthunder and Margaret were adorable to watch as with each nervous touch, they grew more confident and less shy. The crowd roared their approval and stomped to the beat, allowing the dancers to settle into a comfortable, steady pace. The final strum of the instruments left the dancers out of breath with the people cheering their names.

"I love this!" Elizabeth giggled as Meliodas swept her up in an embrace.

"It gets better," Meliodas grinned as he pointed to the now busy stalls. Elizabeth watched as her own mother and other women handed out baskets filled with fruits, meats and other goods to the gathering masses, many of whom were in torn, soot covered rags.

"What are they doing?" Elizabeth asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

"It's called Handouts," Meliodas explained," At this time of year, the Harvest brings in so much food. It's important to share it with those who need it, so we give it out in baskets."

"Oh," Elizabeth gasped, before turning to Meliodas," Can we help?"

"Eh?"

"Can we help with the handouts?" Elizabeth repeated, clinging to Meliodas' shirt," Please Meli!"

Meliodas stared at the little girl, a soft yet sad smile on his face. Once again, he was reminded of his first lover, who also wished to help those in need. Each reincarnation of his Elizabeth was different. He'd seen a warrior, a savage and now a princess amongst many. Yet each Elizabeth was kind, generous and beautiful. They each wanted to help those in need and make the world a better place. And this Elizabeth was no exception, despite her young age.

"Sure," Meliodas smiled, taking her hand," Let's go!"

Thus Meliodas allowed himself to be led off by the young girl with a heart of gold.


	9. Isolation and Ice

Elizabeth sighed as she wandered the endless halls of the castle. It was a cold day and she'd been told to stay inside whilst Meliodas was training with the rest of the Sins. She'd already read all her books and was bored playing by herself, so she decided to look around the castle for something to do to pass the time.

Soon, Elizabeth found herself in a servant's hall, where the maids and other workers lived and relaxed. She knew she wasn't supposed to be there so when she heard voices she immediately began to look for somewhere to hide.

"So tell me about the royal family," someone asked. Elizabeth decided to hide behind a nearby curtain, knowing she'd not be found as their was no need to open the windows.

"They're all lovely, my dear," another woman responded," I am grateful to serve them."

"Can I ask, why does Princess Elizabeth have silver hair?" the other girl asked curiously.

"You don't know?" another woman gasped," Elizabeth's adopted!"

Elizabeth felt herself tense up, her heart stopping with shock. A cold feeling came over her and she began to shiver. It was not from the howling wind.

"Where did she come from?" the youngest maid exclaimed, now more curious than before.

"I heard she was from the Kingdom of Danafor," the gossipy woman whispered.

Elizabeth's heart sank even further if that was possible.

Danafor.

The Kingdom that had mysteriously disappeared. All that was left was a massive hole filled with rubble.

"That's enough!" the older woman snapped," Elizabeth is our Princess and we will continue to treat her just like any other member of the royal fa-"

Elizabeth couldn't listen to the women's idle gossip anymore. She burst out of the curtains, rushing down the hall, ignoring the cries from the maids.

"Princess Elizabeth!" the oldest maid gasped before turning to the shell shocked women in anger," Look what you've done!"

…

Adopted.

It all made sense now.

Her silver hair in comparison to her families various shades of violet.

Her blue and orange eyes were nothing like the families copper brown.

The missing pregnancy portrait of the Queen with Elizabeth. Every pregnant Queen received a portrait for each child. When Elizabeth was younger, she'd asked her mother where her portrait was, but her mother simply said that Elizabeth's had gone "missing" but now she knew the truth.

There was never any portrait.

Her whole life was a lie.

Elizabeth ran out the castle doors, rushing off into the snow and ice as tears ran down her cheeks.

Were her real family alive still?

Probably not. From what she'd been told, no one survived the Kingdom's fall. Then again, she was alive...

Was she even royalty?

Again, it was unlikely. The Royal Family of Danafor had been rumored to be of Arabic descent with honeyed skin and chocolate locks.

How did she survive the Fall of Danafor?

Perhaps she'd been protected by some spirit or heavenly being.

Was she even loved?

That final question made Elizabeth stop. She was now far from the castle, alone in the white world around her.

Love. Her father and mother always told them that they loved their precious girls, but Elizabeth wasn't truly their daughter.

Did Meliodas know about this?

…

Meliodas came back from an intense training session with his fellow Sins to a panicking castle.

"What's going on?" he asked a panicking guard.

"Princess Elizabeth is missing!" the guard yelled before running off.

Meliodas felt his heart drop and he went unconsciously to the throne room. Entering the room, three terrified maids were knelt before the upset royal family minus Elizabeth.

"You said what?!" the King roared at the maid in the middle who was trembling like a leaf.

"I - I didn't know she was there your Majesty," the maid blubbered.

"That is not an excuse!" the King yelled, slamming his fist down on his throne.

"What's going on?" Meliodas asked. If the maids were scared before, they were terrified now. Meliodas was insanely protective of the young girl and his normally chipper voice was icy cold.

"Elizabeth found out she was adopted," the weeping Queen managed to say before she continued sobbing.

"How?" Meliodas snapped. When he'd discovered baby Elizabeth, he'd given her to the King with the condition she didn't find out until she was 18.

"These women were idly gossiping!" the King glared. One of the maids stood at this point.

"Your Majesty," she began," I am innocent. I told them to stop their gossip but they refused to listen. Please don't dismiss me. I need this job to support my children."

"We will listen to your cases later," the King cooly replied," For now, we must find Elizabeth."

"I saw her run North, your majesty," the standing maid continued," She left the castle and was heading out into the middle of nowhere."

"On it!" Meliodas yelled before rushing out the room to the exit, not waiting for the King's orders. They didn't have time for that if they wanted to find Elizabeth alive. As he left the castle, he allowed his demon markings to grow, forming a set of dark wings. He took to the air, fighting off the harsh winds as he began to track Elizabeth.

"Please, be safe," he whispered to himself," I can't lose you again."

…

Elizabeth finally slumped to the ground, her legs giving in to the cold. She was lost. She'd tried to go back home but the blizzard swirled endlessly around her and she couldn't see anything except white.

"I'm going to die here," Elizabeth thought to herself. Surprisingly, she was not panicking. She was calm, seeming to accept her fate," I came into this world alone and that's how I'll leave. Isolated."

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth allowed the cold winds to lull her into a deep sleep. One that she may never wake from.

…

"Where are you!?" Meliodas screeched into the winds, his markings growing in excess.

No reply. All that he could hear was the taunting of the howling wind.

Meliodas felt empty inside. His beautiful princess was here, he could sense her. But he couldn't find her. It was like his heart and humanity were being ripped out once again and crushed.

Suddenly, something caught his eye. In the distance, a small speck of pink, lying on the ground.

Meliodas dashed over, to find an unconscious, frozen Elizabeth lying on the ground, her skin tinged blue.

"No," Meliodas whispered, tears pouring down his cheeks.

"NO!" he screamed," Hang on, Elizabeth!"

Meliodas picked the cold girl up bridal style before allowing the dark wings to form once again. He flew off to the castle, clutching the princess.

"Don't leave me Elizabeth," he whimpered as if in pain," I can't do this again. Please, stay with me."

…

Soon, Meliodas landed in the castle grounds. Luckily, no guards were around to see his demonic form. He rushed into the castle, heading straight to Merlin's room. Servants caught sight of the duo and went to alert the King and Queen who wept with joy and fear.

"Merlin!" Meliodas yelled, bursting into the room where the busty sorcerer was busy making new potions," It's Elizabeth, you need to save her."

Merlin immediately set down her lab equipment and went over, placing her hand on Elizabeth's wrist, trying to feel for a pulse.

It was there. Faint, but still there.

"Place her on the bed," Merlin instructed Meliodas who obeyed," Get Escanor and King!"

"Escanor!" Meliodas roared," King!"

The two sins rushed into the room, shocked at the princess's condition.

"There's no time to waste," Merlin said, turning to Escanor and King," Escanor, I need you to make me a very small ball of sunshine. King, I need you to release a pollen barrier."

"Yes, my fair lady," Escanor replied, forming a small sun. The heat from the tiny ball of light was great, yet not too overpowering.

"Chastiefol. Eight Configuration," King said, his spear glowing," Pollen garden."

Immediately a green orb encased the room. At the combined heat, Elizabeth's cheek began to glow again and her pulse strengthened.

"Will she be okay?" Meliodas asked, his eyes never leaving Elizabeth as the two Sins were dismissed from the room.

"She'll be fine but she'll need to take it easy for the next few days," Merlin replied," Make sure she stays warm and I'd rub her feet and hands with this balm."

Merlin handed Meliodas a small pot, which contained a peppermint scented ointment.

"This will ensure she does not suffer from frostbite," Merlin explained," But I am curious. Why did she leave the castle?"

"She found out she was adopted," Meliodas said, his voice lowering slightly in anger.

"I see," Merlin nodded thoughtfully, before walking to the door," I believe that you should talk to her in private when she wakes up."

Meliodas simply nodded, in response. He was already applying the balm to the princess's hands and feet, rubbing it in gently.

…

Elizabeth's eyes began to flutter open. She was surprised to find herself warm. The last thing she remembered was ice, snow and darkness. A darkness pulling her down into eternal sleep.

Meliodas, who was still massaging the princess's feet, noticed her small movements.

"You're awake!" Meliodas exclaimed, dropping the oil to the ground as he embraced the girl.

"How did I get here?" Elizabeth asked softly, looking around the room.

"After hearing that you'd run off, I went out after you," Meliodas explained before his voice quivered with pain," You were nearly dead. You were so cold…"

"I… I'm sorry," Elizabeth whispered, tears pooling in her eyes as she stared down at the bedspread. Not only had she nearly died, she'd hurt someone important to her.

"Why did you run off?" Meliodas softly asked. He knew the answer but he wanted to hear it from her.

"I heard about Danafor." Elizabeth whispered after a few minutes of silence," How I'm isolated."

"What do you mean by isolated?" Meliodas asked, holding her lukewarm hand.

"I don't have a family," Elizabeth said, tears now running free," I'm alone."

"You do have a family," Meliodas exclaimed," You have your sisters and your mum and dad."

"I'm adopted though," Elizabeth softly said, looking away," They don't love me like Veronica and Maggie."

"Elizabeth," Meliodas said sternly," Look at me."

Elizabeth looked up at Meliodas, who was staring down at her with a firm, yet loving expression.

"When babies are made," Meliodas explained," It's random."

"Random?" Elizabeth asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Yeah," Meliodas chuckled softly," Parents can't determine what the baby will be like or anything. It's a big surprise. But they chose you. You weren't random. They saw you and chose to make you their daughter. You are so loved, Ellie."

"I'm chosen?" Elizabeth repeated in awe.

"Yep," Meliodas smiled," I love you too, Elizabeth. You're my purpose. I would never abandon you."

"I love you too Meliodas," Elizabeth sobbed, launching herself into Meliodas' embrace.


	10. Jealousy and Jericho

Elizabeth couldn't help it.

"Will you mawwy me?" a small voice said, tugging Meliodas' white coat.

"Eh?"

Meliodas was confused at this sudden proposal by a small lavender haired girl in a tiny pink frock.

"Well…" Meliodas nervously chuckled, scratching the back of his head. He was often invited for a "magical night" by many women (which he always declined), but this was a little different.

Elizabeth's blood was boiling. Jealousy was something very "unbecoming" of a princess, but at that moment, she couldn't care less as she watched the pair. Meliodas seemed to be smiling at the little girl. Turning around, Elizabeth left the ball quietly, hoping to cool her rage and envy. The little girl was still chanting her proposal at Meliodas. Laughing, Meliodas picked up the little girl, placing her on his hip with ease. Turning around, Elizabeth left the ball quietly, hoping to cool her rage and envy.

"Jericho!" a small boy yelled, rushing over," You can't ask people that."

"I'm so sorry for her behaviour," the young man said to Meliodas.

"It's fine," Meliodas chuckled, patting Jericho's head as he placed her down again which caused the little girl to giggle.

The annual Holy Knight Ball was being held that evening. After speaking with the boy, it turned out that their father was a Holy Knight and the family had been invited to attend as guests. At this point, Jericho was already gone, asking others to "mawwy" her.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Gustaf," Meliodas grinned, shaking the young boy's hand," I hope to see you in the ranks someday."

"Yes, sir," Gustaf smiled, pleased with the compliment, before rushing off after his sister," Jericho! Not again!"

Meliodas couldn't help but snicker at this. It reminded him of when Elizabeth was younger and they used to get "married". Elizabeth would wrap herself in a white sheet, holding a flower plucked from the garden. Meliodas would play along, slipping a cheap ring onto her pudgy finger and giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Speaking of Elizabeth…

The youngest Princess was nowhere to be seen. Worried, Meliodas checked the dessert table, the dance floor, even under the tables.

Nothing.

Curious, Meliodas left the ballroom, wandering the halls in hopes of finding her.

Soon, he heard someone sniffling and followed the noise, to find an upset Elizabeth sitting on a bench, staring at a painting.

"Hey Elizabeth!" Meliodas exclaimed, causing the princess to jump in fright.

"Hello, Meliodas," Elizabeth replied sadly, before looking away.

"Great party huh?" Meliodas asked, sitting next to her.

"Yeah," Elizabeth softly replied, her eyes downcast as the played with her dress.

"So what we looking at?" Meliodas chuckled.

It was a painting of Meliodas and a younger Elizabeth. Meliodas was smiling down at the tiny girl on his lap, who was sitting in a rich green dress with a big grin on her face. The painting was nothing special, but it was clear to anyone who even so much as glanced at it that the man in the painting cared for the little girl greatly.

"You were so tiny!" Meliodas laughed, but to his surprise, Elizabeth resumed her quiet sobbing at his comment.

"Hey," Meliodas asked, his tone one of concern as he looked at Elizabeth," What's going on Elizabeth?"

"See, there it is!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her lips in a small pout.

"What is?" Meliodas asked, genuinely confused.

"You used to call me Ellie," Elizabeth sadly replied," Now I'm Elizabeth."

"I thought you'd like to be called by your full name now that you're getting bigger," Meliodas softly exclaimed.

"I hate getting bigger!" Elizabeth whined.

"Why is that?" Meliodas asked.

"You don't ruffle my hair anymore or bend down to speak to me," Elizabeth explained," and I'm getting too big to be picked up, unlike some people."

"So that's what's going on," Meliodas thought to himself silently. She must have been jealous of Jericho.

Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a hand on her head. It began to move back and forth, messing up her styled silver hair.

"Don't worry about getting bigger Ellie," Meliodas said as he bent down next to her. Suddenly Elizabeth gasped as Meliodas picked her up bridal style.

"Also, I'm a Holy Knight and the Dragon Sin of Wrath," Meliodas smirked," So I think I can still pick you up."

He suddenly set her down and sat next to her.

"You'll always be my little Ellie," Meliodas smiled," But you're also my beautiful Elizabeth. The big girl who I can chat with, who I can lead out to dance and who I can bow to as not only a carer but as a Holy Knight and as a friend."

"So don't worry about growing up, okay Elizabeth?" Meliodas said, staring at the now smiling girl," Because I'll love you no matter what."


	11. Knights and Kisses

"You look so pretty, Elizabeth," Margaret smiled, fixing the girl's hair. The ten year old princess was staring into the mirror, wondering how she'd gotten herself into this mess. She was currently wearing a peach dress which went down to her ankles. It was pretty and went perfectly with the tiny silver circlet resting in Elizabeth's hair which was in a low bun.

All of this beautiful getup for something ridiculous.

A few weeks earlier, her father, King Bartra, had gotten unusually drunk at a meeting with the King of Camelot who suggested a new competition for the Young Holy Knights Graduation. This new event included a princess in a fake tower, who was to be rescued by young Holy Knights who would have to go through an obstacle course.

Elizabeth wouldn't have been bothered by this, except for the prize.

A kiss with the princess.

Elizabeth felt sick at the thought. She'd have to stand and watch some stupid boys mess about, knowing that one of them would kiss her.

Her father had already apologized multiple times, but nothing could be done. It had all been signed and it was too late to back out.

Originally, it was intended to be Margaret but she'd refused, saying that she wouldn't want to betray her own boyfriend who was Sir Gilthunder. It was uncommon for a princess to "date", but since it was Gilthunder, the family didn't really object.

Veronica had flat out refused, saying she'd castrate any boy who tried to kiss her. It was funny to watch Graimore's widening eyes and his change in stance to protect himself.

That left Princess Elizabeth.

The youngest princess was now getting ready before she entered the tower, a simple wooden structure painted to resemble a tower. She'd stand at the top, awaiting her "hero".

Elizabeth was not happy.

Yet there was someone even unhappier.

…

"Cheer up, Captain!" Ban cackled, handing Meliodas a beer, which the Dragon Sin ignored as he sat fuming.

"What's got the Captain so upset?" Diane asked King, who blushed at the giantess's proximity to him.

"Elizabeth is about to be kissed by some kid as a prize," King answered sadly, causing Diane to glare at the castle.

"That's not fair," Diane pouted," She's still so young. But I don't understand why Captain is upset."

"He doesn't like the idea of his little girl growing up, am I right?" Ban teased.

"Yeah," Meliodas grumbled, downing the beer before slamming it down on the table. Well, that was part of it. The main reason was that he couldn't bear to see his soulmate be kissed by someone else. He loved Elizabeth and had wanted her first kiss to be with him, when she was older obviously. But now, some scrawny brat would be stealing what was his.

"Let's head down," Meliodas suddenly grinned, trying to get rid of the possessive feelings swelling up inside of him.

…

"Welcome to the Annual Young Holy Knight's Graduation Ceremony," an announcer yelled, causing the crowd to roar," Each year, our youngest knights in training graduate to join the Holy Knights Ranks. This year, however, we have an extra special treat."

"An obstacle course in which our young boys will have to face perils in order to save the princess!" the announcer exclaimed, gesturing to the large tower which Elizabeth now stood in. She shyly waved to the crowd, causing them to cheer.

"The winner will be the first person to rescue the princess," the announcer continued," and the prize is a kiss with the princess!"

Wolf whistles filled the streets at this, causing Meliodas to tense up in rage. His Elizabeth now stood still, an awkward expression on her face.

"The young knights will have to crawl through this prickly forest, weave their way through the twisty maze and finally, they must use a bow and arrow to hit the target before they can retrieve the princess," the announcer explained as the young boys lined up at the starting point.

"Ready, set, go!"

A loud boom signified that the race had started and the young boys were off. The first obstacle was a field of barbed wire which they had to crawl under.

Elizabeth couldn't help but snicker as already, two boys were stuck under the mesh as their clothes got caught.

The next test was the maze. At this point, the crowd felt bad as they heard one of the boys begin to cry as he couldn't find his way out.

Finally, the target.

One young man with golden armor and fiery locks grabbed the bow with confidence. Elizabeth recognized him as Prince Arthur of Camelot, the son of the man who'd suggested this stupid event in the first place. Elizabeth guessed that this was the King's way of attempting to set up an arranged marriage between his son and a princess of Liones, much to her disgust.

…

Meliodas watched on with a slight smirk as the boy failed to hit the targets. If it was him, he'd have hit them first try, easy. The blonde glanced up at Elizabeth to see if she found it funny, but her expression was one of panic. Confused, Meliodas focused in to see the wooden castle beginning to crumble.

"Elizabeth!" Meliodas cried out, pushing through the crowd. Everyone gasped and shrieked in horror as the tower collapsed along with an ear splitting scream. When the dust settled, all that was left was a pile of painted wood. No princess. No Holy Knight.

"Where is Elizabeth?!" the Queen yelled, rushing towards the rubble. Before she reached it though, a piece of wood was pushed off the pile by none other than Meliodas himself who was underneath the debris with the Princess.

The blonde knight was covered in scratches now and was bleeding from his head. He'd managed to make it to Elizabeth just in time, throwing his body over hers in order to keep her safe.

Elizabeth was perfectly fine, though a little pale and shaky. She was being held by Meliodas who coughed from the cloud of dust around them.

"Are you okay Captain?" Diane asked, her tone one of worry and concern.

Meliodas gave a small grin before replying.

"I'm fine," he chuckled weakly.

"Is Elizabeth alright?" the Queen exclaimed, looking at her daughter with great concern.

"I'm okay, mum," Elizabeth replied softly. The Queen sighed with relief, knowing her child was safe.

"Thank you for saving her Meliodas," King Bartra said.

"It's not a big deal," Meliodas smiled," and I win the prize now, right?"

"Huh?" everyone asked, sharing confused expressions.

"Whoever rescued the princess would receive a kiss, right?" Meliodas grinned," So since I saved her…"

Meliodas quickly turned and gave Elizabeth a peck on the cheek, causing the audience to coo and clap at the sweet scene before them.

"Meliodas!"


	12. Laundry and Lingerie

In Liones, the weather was pleasant, a slight warm breeze in the air. The perfect weather for doing laundry. All across the kingdom, families were doing their washing. Contrary to popular belief, laundry days were fun and often looked forward to. It was a chance for gossiping with neighbours and children playing in the sheets and tubs. In Liones, the royal family was no exception.

The three princesses stood in the castle grounds, each wearing their old clothes. On days without lessons, they'd often help out around the castle. Today, they'd decided to take on the task of doing their own laundry. Something Elizabeth was particularly grateful for.

She'd recently been called into her mother's room where she'd been told that she'd have to start wearing proper undergarments now that she was getting older. Namely, a bra.

Elizabeth's chest seemed to grow overnight. One day she was as flat as a pancake, the next she was jiggling like a plate of jelly. Something that wasn't going unnoticed by many of the castle's younger guards.

The budding princess had been red faced when stuttering to seamstress, but the woman had been kind. She'd offered Elizabeth multiple cloths to pick from and even gave her tips about what would be most comfortable. Elizabeth left that day with several new bras, as well as some new matching panties.

Needless to say, she didn't want other people handling her underwear right now. It was still all too new for the young girl and she was embarrassed even looking at them, let alone imagining someone else handling them.

Grabbing the scrubbing brush, she began to create suds all over her clothes which were now in a large silver tub. It was hard work, but she didn't mind doing it.

"What's going on here?" a voice piped up. Elizabeth squeaked and pushed her underwear to the bottom of the tub. She especially didn't want a certain blonde Holy Knight to see the lacey lingerie.

"Hello Sir Meliodas," Maragaret said cheerfully," We're just doing some laundry."

"Do you guys have any spare tubs?" Meliodas asked suddenly," Because the Sins and I have been meaning to do some laundry as well."

"Of course," Margaret smiled, standing up, gesturing," Their over there. Please feel free to join us."

"Will do!"

Soon all the Sins had joined in. Diane was using the nearby pond to clean her clothes as they were simply too big for the tiny silver tubs. Ban simply messed about, resulting in King having to also do his laundry. It was funny to watch when Ban poured a sudsy bucket over the fairy's head, causing a small fight to ensue. Merlin simply snapped her fingers and Escanor appeared, eager to assist his fair lady in anyway. Gowther seemed to be quite content cleaning his own clothes, muttering away about "society" and "ideals".

Meliodas sat near Elizabeth, who was focused on making sure her lingerie didn't float to the top. She was so focused, that she didn't notice Meliodas creep up behind her.

Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a mass of sudsy bubbles on top of her head and she heard the roar of Meliodas's laugh. Looking at her reflection in the water, she couldn't help but giggle at the mass of bubbles on her head.

"Two can play at that game," she thought to herself as she grabbed a handful of water, tossing it playfully at the Sin.

Meliodas stopped dead in his tracks as he was splashed. He slowly turned to Elizabeth, whose smile disappeared slowly.

"Elizabeth…" he said before a huge grin appeared on his face," It's on!"

Soon a day of laundry turned into a fun all out war with bubbles and water being tossed on every individual. By the end, everyone was completely soaked and breathing hard. No one noticed the approaching footsteps.

"What's going on here?" a voice said. Everyone turned to see Queen Caroline standing with a smile on her face, bemused at the scene before her.

"We were doing laundry but it got a bit out of hand," Elizabeth admitted.

"Well, you're all completely soaked," Queen Caroline said firmly," I'll have the maids dry everything. For now, I command that all of you go inside and have a bath at once."

The three princesses sighed, causing the Sins to chuckle as they reached for their own wet laundry.

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Queen Caroline exclaimed," I said all of you. That includes you Sins. I don't want anyone catching a cold."

"Yes, your Majesty," the Sins bowed, slight smiles on their faces. Diane had a small frown on her face, which the queen noticed immediately.

"Diane, the royal family owns some of the nearby hot lakes. I insist you use them whenever you wish."

Soon, the maids came out, each grabbing a tub of soaked laundry. They were tasked with drying and ironing the clothes.

…

Later that night, Elizabeth heard a small knock at her door. Opening it up, a maid stood there with a small laundry bag in tow.

"These are your clothes, Princess Elizabeth," the maid bowed before quickly leaving. Elizabeth smiled as the memories of the day came back. She opened the bag, expecting to see her undergarments and such neatly folded.

She was wrong.

Inside was a pair of black pants, a red shirt and… black boxers!

Elizabeth shrieked as she dropped the male undergarments, her face as red as a tomato!

She'd gotten Meliodas's laundry.

Which left the horrid question…

Where was her laundry?!

…

Meliodas sighed as he received his bag of laundry from the maid. It had been a fun day with Elizabeth, one he'd treasure for years to come. Opening up the bag, he was confused to see a white blouse, a pink skirt and…

A matching set of white, lacy panties and a bra?

Meliodas heard Elizabeth's shriek and chuckled as he realised whose lingerie he was holding. His face was slightly pink though as he held the garments. Pushing them back into the bag, he placed it on the table and went to bed.

He would need plenty of sleep before the awkward exchange in the morning.


	13. Meliodas and Medicine

**Hi cuties! So in this chapter, there is a gross infection scene. I've alerted people when it starts, so if you can't stomach that kind of stuff, I urge you to skip. Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

**Love pookiepoodle xx**

Elizabeth stood in the hallway, nervous to enter the room. She could hear Meliodas' groans and whimpers of pain even through the solid oak door. His cries made Elizabeth remember the weeks events that had led up to this situation.

A week earlier, Meliodas and the rest of the Sins had been on a mission which involved fighting massive scorpions in the deserts. When they'd arrived back, Elizabeth had noticed that Meliodas was slightly pale, but insisted he was fine.

In fact, he continued to do so until he collapsed whilst sparring with young Gilthunder, who panicked.

When Merlin had examined him, she found that on his leg, there was a massive cut which was likely from his fight with the scorpions. Normally a wound like that wouldn't affect Meliodas, but it had become infected.

"Meliodas's wound is extremely infectious and is causing him to have a fever," Merlin explained," hence his fainting earlier. I can cure him but unfortunately I have ran out of the balm. It will take a few days to make, so in the meantime, Meliodas must be kept here."

It had broken the young Elizabeth's heart to see someone so precious to her lying on a bed, his face twisting in pain as he sweated.

"Come in," a voice said. Elizabeth walked into the room where Meliodas lay and Merlin stood, making the new balm," How may I help you, Princess Elizabeth?"

"I...I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help," Elizabeth meekly replied. Merlin studied the girl. She seemed genuine. The additional help would also make her job easier.

"Hmm…" Merlin thought aloud," Well, his dressing could do with a change so I suppose you could assist me. You could also keep him cool with these wash clothes."

"Yes, of course!" Elizabeth exclaimed, thankful that she could help.

"Come over here then," Merlin instructed," You need to wash up first."

After doing so, Elizabeth stood next to Merlin who was prepping the new gauze.

"Elizabeth," Merlin began," I must warn you. This wound has been infected and left untreated for nearly a week now. It will not be pleasant in any way, but you must remain strong. Is that understood?"

"Yes Miss Merlin," Elizabeth replied. With a nod, Merlin unwrapped the bandages.

GROSS CONTENT: SKIP IF YOU CAN'T STOMACH!

To say it was "unpleasant" was an understatement. It was ghastly. The area of the wound was swollen and red. The actual cut itself was festered, with pus staining the bandages. The smell coming from it made Elizabeth feel nauseous as she handed Merlin a wipe, but she steeled herself. It was for Meliodas after all.

As Merlin wiped the wound, Meliodas grunted and let out small whimpers of pain in his feverish state.

"It's worse than I thought," Merlin mumbled to herself before turning to Elizabeth," I need a scalpel."

Nodding, Elizabeth handed Merlin a scalpel she'd found in the medical kit. Merlin began to cut into the wound. As soon as the blade entered the skin, pus poured out. Elizabeth felt faint from the sight. Meliodas let out a cry of pain and moaned as the wound was drained.

Elizabeth, not knowing what else to do, found his clammy hand and grasped it.

Once the wound was emptied and cleaned, Merlin sewed the gash closed and applied the new bandages before covering the leg back up.

"All done," Merlin said, before turning to the pale Elizabeth," I must say that I am impressed by your lack of nerves."

"I was slightly scared," Elizabeth confessed before turning back to Meliodas," But it's for him."

A secretive smile appeared on Merlin's face as she returned to creating the balm.

…

Over the next day or so, Elizabeth was Meliodas' bedside nurse. She gave him a sponge bath (thankfully Merlin instructed her to leave his boxers on), applied cool compresses to his head and would sit by the bed, telling him about her day. Meliodas was still unconscious, but Merlin noted how he always seemed to toss and turn less when Elizabeth was by his side

Soon, Merlin had finished making the balm and its effect was quick, with Meliodas' temperature returning to normal. Elizabeth had nearly cried with relief as his whimpers stopped.

When Meliodas finally awoke, it was nearly midnight. Elizabeth was gone, as she had been ordered to go to bed by the concerned Queen. Instead, Merlin stood near, looking at the moon through the castle window.

"Where am I?" he groaned, as he pushed himself up. His muscles ached.

"You're in my lab," Merlin cooly replied," We have been nursing you back to health after you fainted due to your infected wound."

"Oh…" Meliodas nervously chuckled. He'd not wanted to scare anyone so he'd tried to keep the cut a secret. Guess the cat got out the bag.

"This is nothing to laugh about!" Merlin snapped, causing Meliodas' laughter to stop." Imagine how Elizabeth felt seeing you like this!"

"Elizabeth's seen me?" Meliodas softly asked.

"Not only has she seen you," Merlin exclaimed," But she's also been helping me take care of you."

"She nursed me?"

"Yes. She helped change your bandages, clean you, keep you cool and sat by your side continuously. In fact, she was even reluctant to go to her own room tonight but she was ordered to her room by her mother."

Meliodas couldn't respond, still in shock that Elizabeth had taken care of him. This obviously wasn't the first time he'd become ill. It also wasn't the only time an Elizabeth had cared for him. But this Elizabeth was so young and a princess to boot. Little kids, particularly from higher social classes, don't deal with infections. Yet that's exactly what Elizabeth had done.

"I'm sorry…" Meliodas said, his voice low and full of remorse.

"Well, you seem to be better," Merlin commented, pressing her hand against his now cool head," Your temperature appears to be normal."

"I need to go see Elizabeth-" Meliodas began, starting to get out of the bed. But he seemed stuck.

"Invisible Cube," Merlin smirked," You are still weak and need to rest. Elizabeth is tired as well. You can see her in the morning."

Normally, Meliodas would have been angered at this cage, but to Merlin's surprise, he simply nodded and went to bed.

"I'll see her when I wake up," Meliodas mumbled.

"Very good," Merlin nodded, leaving Meliodas to his thoughts of the beautiful princess who'd cared for him in his weak state.


	14. Necklaces and Nightmares

Elizabeth tried to remain calm and dignified as she sat on her throne, although she was growing more and more excited with each passing minute. It was her 13th birthday. This year was important as it marked her transition from a child into a young adult, ever closer to more responsibilities. And marriage.

The royal halls were filled with people ranging from neighbouring Kings to peasants, each bearing gifts. It was not required but many wanted to congratulate the youngest princess and see her. For many nobles, it was also a way to make their families known to the King, in order to get in his good books.

As a result, she had to look calm and collected which was getting harder and harder with each gift. Some were simple things such as sweets which would be tested by Merlin for poison and others were grand such as foregin fragrances and boxes of gold.

Meliodas stood guard near her, in case any attacker decided to use the opportunity to near the princess. He also glared at each young noble, who was complimenting her beauty.

Finally, the line dwindled down and an old woman hobbled up to the princess. She was dressed in grimy rags and leaned on a wooden cane. Out of her pocket, she pulled a small cloth which she handed to the princess. Curious, Elizabeth unfolded the cloth to reveal a necklace.

It was beautiful. It was quite simple yet elegant. A black stone rested on the silver chain. The stone appeared to change colors quickly, a slight sparkle being caught in the sunlight.

"Thank you," Elizabeth smiled, attempting to put the necklace on. Meliodas saw and went up to her, holding out his hand. Elizabeth placed the necklace into his hand and lifted up her silver tresses, allowing Meliodas to do up the clasp. Once in place, Elizabeth held up the stone and gazed at it's beauty. She then proceeded to thank the old woman again.

The old woman said nothing, only smiled. She bowed and turned, hobbling out the room. Elizabeth couldn't help but continue to admire the necklace.

…

She was running.

Her bare legs were being torn by the thorns, blood trickling down her creamy skin, yet Elizabeth kept going. She didn't know what she was running from, but something told her to keep moving, to not look back. Suddenly, she was in a clearing, filled with mist. She continued to run, until she tripped over something. Rubbing her ankle, she turned to see what it was and screamed.

The object she tripped on was Meliodas. But it wasn't him. He was a corpse, merely a shell made of decaying flesh and writhing maggots. His eyes were open, the horror still visible.

Elizabeth scrambled to her feet, turning to run but she was met with a pair of red eyes in the dark.

…

Meliodas was just getting into his bed when he heard Elizabeth's scream.

"Elizabeth!" he yelled, rushing to her room. Flinging open the door, he saw the young princess in her bed, sweat rolling off her as she sobbed, her complexion paler than usual.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting on the bed.

"I… I had a nightmare," Elizabeth gasped between sobs," It was horrible! I was being chased and then I tripped over you, but it wasn't you, I mean it was, but you were rotting away and then the red eyes got me and-"

"Elizabeth!" Meliodas yelled. Elizabeth's eyes widened at his outburst and she began to shrink away from him. Softening his tone, he continued, grabbing her hand.

"I need you to take a deep breath," Meliodas instructed, watching as she obeyed, her shaky breaths becoming more steady.

"Good," Meliodas murmured, taking her hand. He placed it on his chest. For a moment, they sat in silence. Elizabeth felt his heart beating strongly beneath his linen shirt and was, for some strange reason, comforted.

"I'm not dead," Meliodas whispered," My heart is beating, see? I'm still here and I'm okay. You're okay. It was just a nightmare. You'll be fine. I promise."

Elizabeth nodded, reassured by his presence.

…

However, Elizabeth was far from fine.

Following that incident, she would awake each night, a scream filling the empty halls as the nightmares continued to plague her. After the third night, Meliodas decided to move into her room, with permission from the King and Queen. He sat in the wooden chair and would watch as her breaths quickened, the thrashing beginning slowly.

For Elizabeth, it was hell. In every dream, she was being hunted. The setting changed, but the fear was the same. So was Meliodas. Each dream he appeared. Sometimes behind a door. Tapping her shoulder. Dragging her down into the earth. His rotting smile haunting her.

Each night, she would end up cuddling into Meliodas, her ear pressed against his chest. She needed to hear his heart. She needed to see if everything was okay.

Elizabeth was also affected during the day. The nightmares kept her up and she was exhausted as a result. Her eyes sunken with purple bags as she wandered aimlessly around the castle like a ghost. Meliodas was also exhausted.

Merlin was consulted but there was nothing to be found. According to her, Elizabeth wasn't suffering from any illness.

A few days later, Gowther came out of his room. He'd been practicing his smile. Being unsuccessful, he decided to go and reexamine his fellow Sins. He'd been trying to copy Meliodas' cheeky grin, but perhaps Ban's smirk would suit him better. Turning a corner, he was surprised as he collided with Princess Elizabeth. She gave a shriek but quickly calmed herself.

"Please forgive me, Sir Gowther," Elizabeth apologized. Gowther ignored her and grabbed her necklace in his hands, staring at the pendant.

"What's going on?" Meliodas exclaimed, running around the corner," I heard Elizabeth scream. Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Sir Meliodas," Elizabeth insisted," I just got frightened when I bumped into Sir Gowther."

"Why are you wearing the Siren's Necklace?" Gowther interrupted. Elizabeth and Meliodas looked at the pink haired man with confusion and surprise.

"What are you talking about?" Meliodas asked.

"The necklace that Princess Elizabeth is wearing," Gowther said, pointing towards her neck," It is the legendary Siren Necklace. I believe I know where there is more information. Please follow me."

Meliodas and Elizabeth followed the Goat Sin to the library where they were led into the older books. Gowther seemed to know exactly what he was looking for and quickly grabbed a book.

"Here it is," Gowther exclaimed, opening up to a page," The Legend of the Siren Necklace. This necklace is rumored to have been created by a siren who was, at one point, the world's most beautiful creature. However, a fair maiden soon stole this title from her, causing the siren to become jealous. The siren made this necklace and then gave it to the girl as a gift. However, the necklace is cursed to give the wearer nightmares, draining them and making them haggard. The necklace has been lost and its location is unknown."

"I need to get it off," Elizabeth panicked, fumbling with the clasp. Meliodas simply grabbed the chain and tugged, causing the metal to break. An unholy screech was released. Clasping her ears, Elizabeth closed her eyes and waited for the horrid sound to disappear. It soon did and she felt a weight being lifted off of her.

"If I may ask, where did you find that necklace?" Gowther asked.

"I received it from an old woman on my birthday," Elizabeth explained before gasping," You don't think-"

"I have reason to believe that the old woman was a siren in disguise," Gowther confirmed.

"Why me?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's because you're stunning," Meliodas answered, causing Elizabeth to blush," You're like the girl in the story."

"I must agree with Meliodas," Gowther nodded," Your proportions are incredible and-"

The rest of Gowther's speech was unheard as Meliodas chucked him out the room at lightning speed.


	15. Oranges and Odour

Being a demon came with a lot of perks. Unbelievable strength, near immortality, incredible speed. It also came with enhanced senses. In particular, smell.

Meliodas would awake in the morning to the smell of the crisp cotton he lay on every night. Stretching, he'd smell the fresh breads and other breakfast items being prepared in the kitchen. Hungry, he'd quickly leave his room, only to be greeted by an array of scents. As he would walk out his room, he'd pass the maids. He'd always wrinkle his nose at their strong perfume which threatened to choke him. Everyone around him also had a unique scent which was often useful if he needed to find someone in particular.

"Morning Captain!" Ban cheered, ruffling Meliodas' hair," Ready for some grub?"

"Sure!" Meliodas grinned, turning away from Ban slightly. The man reeked of booze and sweat, not something he wanted to smell first thing in the morning.

As they entered the dining room, they were greeted by Diane and King who were admiring the vast spread laid before them.

"It all looks so yummy!" Diane giggled. Merlin had recently invented a shrinking pill, much to Diane's excitement. Now, the Serpent Sin was able to dine with them, rather than sitting outside. As Diane shook her pigtails back and forth, Meliodas caught a whiff of earthy scents and… flowers?

Flowers, which he knew, were the scent of the Fairy King himself. Meliodas smirked as he realised what had happened between the two.

"Nice night, King?" Meliodas asked innocently. Immediately, King went red and began to babble.

"Why is King red?" a monotone voice asked from behind them. Meliodas turned to see Gowther walking into the room. He smelled of paper and ink. Probably due to spending the majority of his time in the castle's library.

"Don't tease him, Gowther," another voice interrupted. Merlin walked in, followed by Escanor. Merlin gave off a slightly chemical scent whilst Escanor smelled of lemon polish, most likely from cleaning Merlin's belongings.

"Where is Elizabeth?" Meliodas asked the royal family, who were already seated.

"I think she's in the garden," Veronica answered. Meliodas had to hide a grin as he smelled a faint tinge of cologne coming off the tomboy. He guessed she preferred more masculine scents over the typical florals that Margaret adored. Though where the young girl found cologne was beyond him.

"Thanks!" Meliodas exclaimed, grabbing a pastry before rushing outside. He went into the gardens which were overpowering. Soon he found Elizabeth. Well, he smelled her first.

Elizabeth's scent was the most perfect odour in the world. It had hints of goddess magic underneath the citrusy orange tones. It made him feel dizzy with love and desire when he smelled it. He took a deep breath before finding her. It seemed stronger today and he needed to remain calm before seeing her. Turning the corner, he realised why it was stronger today.

Elizabeth was on a ladder, picking fruits from the orange tree. She seemed to be happy, humming as she plucked each ripe fruit. She didn't realise he was there until he called out to her.

"Hey Elizabeth!" Meliodas exclaimed. Elizabeth gave a shriek and turned quickly, causing the ladder to wobble. With a gasp, Elizabeth slipped off the ladder, tumbling to the ground. Luckily, Meliodas was there to catch Elizabeth.

"S-sir Meliodas," Elizabeth stuttered, her face red.

"You should be more careful," Meliodas smiled," What would have happened if I wasn't here?"

Elizabeth wanted to argue that if he wasn't there, she wouldn't have been surprised and thus wouldn't have fallen off. But she didn't think that would be the best plan.

"I'm sorry," Elizabeth apologized, not wanting to annoy the Sin with her backchat.

"It's alright," Meliodas chuckled, setting her down gently," Just be careful."

"Right," Elizabeth exclaimed, grabbing her basket," Would you like an orange, Sir Meliodas? They smell so sweet today"

"Sure," Meliodas smiled, grabbing the fruit.

"Though not as sweet as you," he thought to himself as he took a bite of the zesty fruit.


	16. Prophets and Promise

"Meliodas, come see this!" Elizabeth cried out, dragging the Holy Knight towards a mysterious tent. Elizabeth and the Sins were currently at a fair. The King and Queen had originally been reluctant to allow Elizabeth to go, but once the Sins promised to go with her, the couple had no problem with letting Elizabeth go. After all, she was in the care of the Seven Deadly Sins. She couldn't be safer.

As they neared the tent, they were able to see the hand painted wooden sign.

"It's a prophet!" Diane squealed, clapping her hands in excitement. King rolled his eyes slightly.

"You know that it's just a sham, right?" King said.

Diane's eyes began to water, causing King to quickly backtrack.

"I mean… let's go check it out!" King nervously laughed, causing Diane to squeal again. They entered the purple tent to be greeted by an old woman clothed in jewels and silks. She appeared rather mystical.

"Greetings," she began," I am the Oracle. Who wishes to go first?"

"Me!" Diane exclaimed, her eyes shining.

"Please be seated," the woman said, gesturing to the seat opposite her. Diane sat down quickly, bouncing slightly. The table was quite plain with only a small bowl of water in the centre.

"Please give me your hand," the woman ordered. Diane gave her hand to the woman who then pulled a needle out.

"Forgive me," she murmured to no one in particular.

"Ouch!" Diane cried out as the woman pricked her finger. The droplets of blood fell into a bowl of water.

"I see that your memories are clouded," the woman began, examining the bowl's contents," I can tell that you know the person you are destined to be with."

"R-really?!" Diane blushed, her mind picturing Meliodas.

"Yes," the woman confirmed," He who changed thy memories will be the one you love."

King felt his heart stop. He remembered the young giantess and the flower. He'd regretted erasing Diane's memories of him, but it was for her own good. Was this woman referring to him?

"Cool!" Diane cheered, getting up," Who wants to go next?"

"I'll give it a shot," Ban grinned, slumping into the chair. The woman pricked his finger and once again looked at the bowl.

"You will be reunited with two people," the woman began," Both of which you cherish. But be warned. It will not last long for one of them."

Ban furrowed his brow, confused. Sure, he knew one of the people was Elaine, but who was the other person? As long as Elaine stuck around, it didn't really matter to him.

Next was King.

"You are afraid."

"Eh?"

"Well, that's not surprising," Ban snickered in the background.

"You fear your people's judgement," the woman said bluntly," Do not. You will be the greatest ruler to have crossed their paths."

King was barely listening to her or anyone else after that. Him? The greatest Fairy King? The King who'd abandoned his people, his own sister? The King who didn't protect his own home?

Merlin decided to go next. She appeared rather confident and even arrogant as she sat down.

"He who pulled the sword will be destined to fall."

"No."

Everyone looked surprised as Merlin stood up, a dark aura surrounding her. Normally, Merlin was calm, collected and one step ahead of everyone else. Now she appeared to be shaking, her eyes widened in fear.

"You are wrong," she spat out, her eyes filled with hate for the woman.

"I am sorry for you."

Merlin disappeared, probably using teleportation to escape. Escanor excused himself and left, trying to find his Lady.

Elizabeth then took a seat nervously.

Meliodas was nervous. He didn't want Elizabeth to hear anything negative. Luckily, Elizabeth only received a nice fortune.

"I see that you will find great happiness in this lifetime."

The woman patted her hand and gave her a smile, causing Elizabeth to also grin.

Finally, it was Meliodas' turn.

"She's the last."

"Huh?" Meliodas asked, confused. Everyone else had left the tent at this point.

The oracle simply nodded to Elizabeth who was busy chatting with Diane.

Time seemed to slow down.

"That is all I can tell you," the woman said, pausing before she continued,"Your Majesty."

The words "your Majesty" made Meliodas' eyes widen. This woman was no cheap, lying gyspy. This woman truly was an Oracle.

"How did you know?" Meliodas said softly, looking down at the ruby water.

"I am the Oracle," she replied," I see all."

Meliodas turned back to look at Elizabeth once again.

If what this woman said was true, then that meant that this Elizabeth was the last one. No more reincarnations. No more heartbreak.

Peace.

"Oh, I missed your fortune, Meliodas!" Elizabeth gasped, as he walked towards her," What did she say to you?"

"Something incredible," Meliodas smiled, his heart bursting with the promise of hope.


	17. Queen and Quiet

**Hi cuties! I wanted to let you know that in this scenario, Queen Caroline died after her body succumbed to an illness. In the real version, she and Dreyfus' and Zaratras' wife died during a formal tea party when they were attacked by monsters. That's all! Please review! Loves!**

**Pookiepoodle x**

On a sunny autumn day, the entire kingdom of Liones was silent, something unusual in this usually lively place. The shops had closed and the children were not allowed to play in the streets. The laughter and gossip normally heard in the marketplace was replaced by frowns and quiet whispers. It was a somber mood, fitting for the scene.

This was because today, the funeral of their beloved Queen Caroline was taking place.

The whole kingdom had been shocked to hear that the Queen had passed away in the middle of the night. It was common knowledge that she was not a well woman, often not able to attend many festivities, but the sudden nature of it all was too much for the people. She was a kind woman who'd helped many of her kingdom's most vulnerable, organizing charities to aid those in need.

For the royal family, it was unbearable. Each family was processing the grief differently.

King Bartra had taken to sitting in his chambers for hours, simply staring out the window. He refused meals and wouldn't allow anyone to enter his rooms. Instead, he simply sat, remembering his beautiful wife, her smiling face everywhere even now.

Veronica had turned her grief into anger and was now regularly seen sparring with Griamore, who looked worse for wear. He didn't complain, however, as he understood that she needed this. If anyone complained or told her that she wasn't being "ladylike", she simply lashed out, pulling out her prized possession. A steel sword her mother had gifted her with a diamond at the hilt. She was seen often polishing this gift, blinking away the tears that threatened to fall onto the blade.

Margaret now wore a stony expression as she glided around the halls aimlessly, like a ghost. When asked if she was alright, she would nod, but everyone knew that she obviously wasn't. She continued her daily routine, however she was no longer truly there. Rather, she was going through the motions, like a hollow puppet. She never cried during the day nor did she smile. But at night, she would soak her pillow with quiet sobs.

For the youngest princess, her emotions were clear to anyone who saw her. Elizabeth was a sobbing mess, often excusing herself from dinners and such to cry in solitude.

The service was lovely with everyone in the kingdom attending to pay their respects to the late Queen. The Queen had been placed into the royal tombs, her mahogany coffin shining bright in the sunlight before it was placed into the dark. The family wore black and seemed to be calm, but Meliodas knew better. They were numb with grief. As everyone left, many offered their condolences to the family and telling them how brave they were, that it would get better.

Meliodas hated it all though.

Seeing Elizabeth like this broke his heart.

Later, after everyone had paid their respects and returned to the castle, Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. Meliodas had been keeping an even closer eye on her since her mother's death but in the midst of the day's events, he'd lost track of her.

"Has anyone seen Elizabeth?" Meliodas asked around, only to be met with sighs and pitied looks. The princess was often disappearing these days, reappearing later with red puffy eyes.

"I believe she'll be in the tower," a small voice said weakly behind him. Meliodas turned to see a pale Margaret standing there, a ghost herself. She was looking down at the ground and seemed much younger.

"Thanks, Maggie," Meliodas smiled lightly, before rushing off. Climbing up the old tower, he began to hear Elizabeth's cries and he sped up, darting up each creaking plank. When he reached the tower room, he was greeted by a heart wrenching scene.

Elizabeth was rocking back and forth on the dusty wooden floor, sobbing like a banshee as she clutched a piece of fabric close to her chest. Her hair was down, covering her face in a haunting manner.

"Elizabeth," Meliodas breathed softly, attempting to move closer. Once he got closer, he saw that the piece of fabric was actually a handkerchief, one of Queen Caroline's many. It was embroidered with little roses and had Q.C stitched onto the fabric.

"It's not fair," Elizabeth gasped between sobs, looking up at him. His mind went blank for a moment as he saw the raw grief in her expression.

"I know," Meliodas murmured, crouching down next to her. He began to stroke her hair, in a feeble attempt to soothe her.

"I… I shouldn't even be this upset," Elizabeth exclaimed, her body shaking," I'm … so… selfish…"

"What are you talking about?" Meliodas asked, genuinely confused. Why was the young girl punishing herself?

"I'm not even her real daughter," Elizabeth sniffed,"Yet Maggie and Veronica are able to not cry every five minutes."

"Everyone has different ways of dealing with grief," Meliodas replied," We've been over this before, remember?"

"Yes," Elizabeth whimpered, snuggling into him, hiding her tear stained face. He sighed and held her tightly.

"Veronica is taking hers out through aggression," Meliodas continued," but I've seen her after her sparring matches. Shaking and still full of sorrow. Maggie's no different. I can hear her cries at night as well."

"How do you know so much about this?" Elizabeth sniffed, looking up at him. Meliodas looked away for a moment.

"I lost someone very important to me," Meliodas said softly. Elizabeth looked up at him with wide eyes.

"How did you react?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

"I was angry," Meliodas confessed," at the world. Everyone. Then I learned that anger doesn't solve all your problems.

"Does it ever hurt less?" Elizabeth asked," the pain?"

"Yes," Meliodas lied, holding her close. He couldn't bear to tell her that everyday his heart ached. That he wanted to die.

They sat in silence, each mourning in their own way.


	18. Roses and Rain

"Ugh," Elizabeth groaned, staring out the rain splattered window at the gloomy weather," There's nothing to do!"

"Sure there is," Meliodas chuckled, ruffling her hair casually as he stood next to her," Let's see…"

However, Meliodas was surprisingly proven wrong. Elizabeth had long outgrown her childish toys she had loved when she was much younger and now her entertainment consisted of sewing (boring!), books (which she'd read a dozen times) and a puzzle which had been solved countless times. In short, there really was nothing to do.

Sighing, the pair slumped onto the velvet couch, groaning. Thankfully, their day was about to get much more interesting. The sound of footsteps echoed in the halls. Suddenly, the door swung open.

"Hey what's up Captain?" Ban smirked, as he and the rest of the Sins entered the room.

"We're trying to find something to do, but there's literally nothing," Meliodas whined, scuffing his feet against the flooring.

"All we found was this paper," Elizabeth sighed, gesturing to some colorful paper on the table in front of them.

"Oh!" King exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. Everyone turned to look at the fairy.

"What is it King?" Diane asked, noticing her friend's change in mood.

"N-nothing," King stammered, turning red as he realised he had been caught.

"According to the sudden increase of blood in your face and your high pitched tone, it would appear you are embarrassed and lying," Gowther deduced. King wanted to slap Gowther, but restrained himself.

"Oh," Ban chuckled, grabbing the smaller man," What's got tiny here so embarrassed, eh?"

A struggle ensued, causing Meliodas to get up.

"Knock it off," Meliodas exclaimed," That's an order!"

The boys let go off each other, exchanging scoffs in the process.

"Sir King," Elizabeth began," Please tell us."

"Fine," King sighed, grabbing the paper," I kinda like origami."

"What's that?" Diane frowned.

"It's the art of folding paper," King explained.

"Pfft!" Ban howled," Folding things! Wow, that sounds like _so _much fun!"

"It is fun!" King pouted," Watch!"

Grabbing a sheet of paper, King began folding it. Suddenly, as if by magic, a crane appeared in his hand.

"WOW!" Meliodas cheered, grabbing the small crane," How did you do that?"

"Easy," King smirked, now a little more confident that his talent was being appreciated," lIke this."

"Can you do others?" Diane asked. Wanting to show off, King was eager to show that, yes, he could make many things.

Soon, the table was littered with stars, lotus flowers, bunnies, frogs and even a dragon.

"Can you teach us?" Everyone yelled at the poor man, who agreed.

Soon, the Sins and Elizabeth were all sitting on the ground, attempting this "origami". Merlin and Gowther found it quite easy as they liked and were able to follow instructions well.

However, a certain Sin was having a rather difficult time.

"This is impossible!" Diane cried out, tossing another crumpled piece of paper onto the floor.

"Don't give up!" King pleaded, promising to show her once again. After a few more failed attempts, even Diane was able to make a star, with King's help.

"Hey," Meliodas whispered, poking King who turned to him," Can you show me how to make a rose later?"

King furrowed his brow, but nodded.

…

Elizabeth was getting into her nightgown when there was a knock at her door. Her lady in waiting went to the door to tell them that the princess was in not able to see guests at such an hour, but no one was there. Instead, there was a bouquet on the ground.

"My lady," the woman said, causing Elizabeth to turn and gasp," these were left at your door."

The woman handed Elizabeth the gift.

It was a bouquet of paper roses in all different colors. Each was done carefully and was perfect. There was also a little note.

All it said was:

M.

But Elizabeth knew immediately who made it. She went to smell them, but stopped, having to remind herself that they were made of paper. She wanted to make Meliodas something too.

"Can you bring me Sir King?" Elizabeth asked her lady in waiting. The woman was confused by the request but knew better than to argue with her superiors.

…

The next day, Meliodas woke up to a gift at his door.

A tiny red dragon with a little note.

Love, E.


	19. Silver and Strong

For Elizabeth, today would be one of the most important days of her life.

Today, she received her crown.

At 16, the princesses of Liones received their crowns in a big ceremony held just outside the castle. Out of the three princesses, Elizabeth would be the last to receive her crown. The royal jeweler made them secretly with help from the "Placer".

The Placer was the person who would place the crown on the individual. It was always interesting to wonder who would be the Placer.

Margaret had been crowned by her Father. Everyone had been excited as it had been a long time since a Crowning Ceremony, not to mention that Margaret would be their next Queen. Her crown was made of gold to represent her heart of gold. It was beautiful, with quite a traditional shape. Each point was dotted with a sapphire.

Veronica was next to be crowned and hers was a rather unusual design. Her mother, knowing her daughter's tomboyish ways, had her daughter's crown styled into a circlet made of bronze. It appeared rather plain but inlaid were tiny rubies, making it look like flecks of blood across the piece of jewelry. Veronica had been delighted with the results.

Finally it would be Elizabeth's turn.

She made her way to her sister's who were waiting for her patiently in the main hall.

"Oh Ellie," Veronica gasped, when she turned to look at her younger sister.

"You look beautiful," Margaret gushed.

It was true.

Elizabeth wore a dress of silver which fell off her shoulders, revealing her elegant, slim collarbone. It clenched at her waist and then flowed out around her. Her hair was placed into a low bun, with her bangs covering her eye.

"Thanks," Elizabeth giggled, nervously twisting a plain ring on her finger.

"We better hurry," Veronica murmured, hearing the roar of the impatient crowd gathering outside.

"Just wait for the signal before you come out," Margaret smiled before leaving through the main door. Veronica followed quickly. Seeing the two princesses caused the crowd to become even louder if possible. Curious, Elizabeth went to one of the windows.

Elizabeth watched as her sister assumed their positions on the makeshift thrones outside. A massive stage had been set up so that the whole kingdom could gather and watch this momentous occasion.

Waiting for her signal to enter, Elizabeth's mind began to wander. Who would be the Placer?

With her mother gone, she'd assumed that her father would have taken on the role. However, he was already seated outside, meaning that he couldn't be the Placer. So who-?

"Your Majesty," a servant whispered, startling Elizabeth," It's time."

"Thank you," Elizabeth whispered, calming herself as she went to the main doors. She nodded to the guards who bowed before opening the doors. It was time.

Elizabeth began her walk, lifting her skirt slightly as she ascended the stairs so she didn't trip on the silk and make a fool of herself. The crowd roared in approval of their princess and she couldn't help but smile slightly. In the centre of the stage, a small purple pillow had been placed for her to kneel down on. Elizabeth kneeled, her head down and her eyes closed. The audience suddenly went quiet. Footsteps could be heard, nearing the princess. This must be her placer.

"Today," the warm voice said," We are here to witness the ceremonial crowning of Princess Elizabeth, who came of age not long ago."

It took all of her strength not to gasp as she immediately recognized the voice. In fact, she bit her cheek, the metallic taste of blood stinging her tongue. Looking up slightly, she saw Meliodas holding a small pillow, containing a tiara.

It was stunning, to say the least.

"The crown I hold has been made of silver," Meliodas smiled. Though he was announcing this to the crowd, to Elizabeth, it felt like he was speaking only to her.

"Silver is something that endures," Meliodas continued," it stands the test of time and hardship, something which I am confident Princess Elizabeth will be able to do."

"For the gemstones, diamonds were chosen."

This left the crowd gasping and whispering. Diamonds were expensive, generally reserved for Kings, Queens and those immediately next in line. Not a princess who was third in line, at best.

"These, however, aren't ordinary diamonds," Meliodas grinned, not caring about the gossips," These diamonds were each gifted by members of the Seven Deadly Sins."

On closer examination, there were only seven diamonds in an array of colors.

Green from the Grizzly Sin of Sloth.

Yellow from the Lion Sin of Pride.

Orange from the Serpent Sin of Envy.

Blue from the Boar Sin of Gluttony.

Purple from the Goat Sin of Lust.

White from the Fox Sin of Greed.

And finally the largest diamond in the center of the crown.

A Blood Red Diamond from the Dragon Sin of Wrath.

"These are to remind Princess Elizabeth that, no matter what, the Sins and I will always be at her side, ready to serve her in anyway."

"I, Sir Meliodas, The Dragon Sin of Wrath and the Leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, now bestow this crown onto Princess Elizabeth of the Kingdom of Liones."

Elizabeth raised her head, her teary eyes meeting his gentle ones. He placed the tiara onto her head gently and then extended a hand to assist her up. When she did, he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles and then helped her up, continuing to hold her hand even when she had risen.

Elizabeth turned to face the crowd, who now cheered at such a volume, it could be heard for miles around.


	20. Tonsils and Touch

One morning, as Elizabeth awoke, something didn't feel right. In particular, her throat. It felt a little swollen and sore. She sat up, gently touching it, but even that was painful. She grimaced before feeling a slight tickle. She tried to cough, but it made her eyes water from the pain. There was a knock at her door.

"Come in," she croaked and the door opened to reveal one of the maids.

"I'm here to get you ready Princess Elizabeth," the maid bowed," Are you feeling alright?"

"Just a little cough," Elizabeth smiled weakly as she got out her bed.

…

After she got dressed, she left her room, heading to the dining room for her breakfast. She still wasn't feeling well, but she didn't want to bother anyone.

When she sat down, she asked her sister, Veronica, to pass her a glass of water. Veronica nodded absentmindedly as she gave her sister the water, not noticing Elizabeth's rough voice. Margaret then started to talk about her plans for the upcoming month.

"So, I think we should organize another collection," Margaret began, discussing her charity work. Nodding, Elizabeth took a sip of water before she began coughing violently. Her throat was too swollen to even swallow the liquid.

"Elizabeth!" Veronica yelled out, slapping her back. After a few hits, Elizabeth's coughing stopped but she was left red faced and teary eyed, panting harshly. Everyone was staring in shock at the youngest princess.

"Good Heavens," Bartra asked, his voice filled with concern," Are you alright, Ellie?"

"I'm fine," Elizabeth croaked.

"No, you're not," Margaret insisted, standing up," Come with me. You need to see Miss Merlin."

So despite her protests, Elizabeth found herself in the Boar Sin's makeshift clinic. Luckily, Merlin was in the room. After her sister explained the problem, Merlin turned to Elizabeth.

"Open wide," Merlin instructed as she made a ball of bright energy," Now say AH."

"Ah!" Elizabeth obeyed, opening her mouth as wide as possible. Merlin examined her throat, using the magic sphere, then felt her tonsils. Merlin frowned and continued to feel them.

"There's the problem," Merlin mumbled, as she felt the swollen tonsils.

"What's wrong with her?" Margaret asked, her face one of concern.

"Your sister has tonsilitis."

"What's that?" Veronica asked, her brow furrowed as she stared at her younger sister.

"It means that her tonsils are inflamed," Merlin explained," I have no choice but to remove them."

Everyone gasped, except Ellie, who instead bit her lip and looked down in an attempt to hide her tears. She didn't like doctors and the idea of having something removed was terrifying to say the least. But she had to be brave.

"When will you remove them?" Margaret asked nervously.

"Right now," Merlin replied, as she walked towards a cupboard," It's better to do it sooner than later so that she can recover much more quickly. I'll need to ask everyone to leave the room."

…

After the impromptu surgery, Elizabeth had begun to wake up, her mind cloudy still from the drugs she was given to knock her out. As her vision began to clear, she saw two emerald eyes staring at her intensely. Due to her weakened state, she wasn't able to see how his shoulders relaxed and the sigh of relief he made as he saw her come to.

"Hey Elizabeth," Meliodas chuckled, giving her a little wave," How ya doing?"

Elizabeth tried to respond but was unable to as she felt a sharp pain in the back of her throat. Noticing her pained expression, Meliodas immediately grasped her hand.

"Don't try to speak," Meliodas calmly said," It's gonna take a while for your throat to heal so in the meantime, I got you a gift."

Elizabeth sat up slowly, watching as Meliodas grabbed something from a nearby table. She heard a strange beeping sound and turned to see a metal machine next to her. Before she could figure out what it was, something was being placed on her lap.

It was a piece of slate and some chalk.

"I know it's not too fancy," Meliodas grinned," but it means that you can communicate with us."

Elizabeth took the gift and began to write before turning it around.

_Thank You_

"No problem," Meliodas smiled," Are you thirsty by any chance?"

Elizabeth nodded.

"Wait right here then," Meliodas said as he got up and left. He came back soon with a tray.

"I got you some water and also some ice cream," he said, placing the tray down onto a table," Open wide."

Elizabeth blushed but did as he said, opening her mouth slightly so he could place a straw into it. She tried to hold the glass herself but he gently pushed her hands away.

"You're still weak after the surgery," he insisted," I don't want you to drop it."

After she'd had her water, he began to feed her ice cream, which was strawberry flavoured. Elizabeth was slightly embarrassed by all the fuss he was making over her. After all, she was 17 now. This reminded her of two things.

One was of her as a child, being fed by Meliodas. She didn't like the idea as for some reason. Perhaps it was that she didn't want to be seen as a child by him. She didn't know why but the idea of him treating her like a kid made her squirm.

The second was even more embarrassing. It reminded her of Margaret and Gilthunder, who would sometimes feed each other things in a lovey-dovey manner. Thinking about Meliodas feeding her in a romantic sense made her heart race quickly.

"All done," he chuckled, putting down the empty container. He turned back to her and suddenly frowned.

"You have some ice cream on your face," he muttered to himself.

Before Elizabeth could reach up to wipe it off, Meliodas leaned in, pressing his thumb near her mouth and wiping off the ice cream. He went to wipe it on a napkin, but there wasn't any to be seen. Shrugging, he licked his thumb.

For Elizabeth, this was too much to bear.

"D-did he just lick the ice cream?" she thought silently to herself, her face turning even more red.

"That was pretty sweet," Meliodas chuckled, looking up at Elizabeth before frowning," Are you feeling okay, Elizabeth? You're all red."

"Did we just have an indirect kiss?" Elizabeth silently continued to herself, not even hearing his question.

However, the moment was ruined as the strange metal object next to her began to beep frantically. Suddenly Merlin appeared in the middle of the room, briskly walking over to the pair.

"Is everything okay?" Merlin asked," Elizabeth's heart rate just increased dramatically according to the machine and I wanted to see if she was alright."

Elizabeth quickly grabbed her slate and wrote.

_I'm fine._

"Very well then," Merlin nodded, before turning to Meliodas, discussing the do's and don'ts for Elizabeth for the following weeks. But Elizabeth was in her own world, her hand unconsciously, touching the spot where he'd touched her.


	21. Umbrellas and University

Hi cuties! So I decided to do one modern AU as I thought that would jazz things up a bit.

Elizabeth sighed as she finished getting ready to go see her boyfriend. She'd decided on wearing a gray sweater and a pair of tiny denim shorts that Meliodas had bought her. Normally, she would be all smiles even thinking about him day, but she was a bit nervous. She'd be visiting Meliodas at his University.

He did visit often but she'd never been to the campus. Luckily, due to some technical issues, her high school had decided to close down for a few days so she decided to go and visit him.

When Meliodas had left, part of Elizabeth had wanted to scold herself for being so selfish. Meliodas was lucky enough to receive a full paid scholarship to the University of Camelot, which specialised in sports medicine.

But on the other hand, the university was a good 8 hour drive away. Plus, with Elizabeth being in her senior year of high school, it was more difficult for them to meet up. She'd missed him, obviously, but he'd also be surrounded by tons of pretty college girls. After all, it was Meliodas. Despite his stature, he was funny, cool, bad ass and handsome. A perfect catch.

"Wait, no!" Elizabeth said aloud to herself, shaking her head as if to get rid of her negative thoughts," This is Meli I'm talking about. He's probably just hanging with the gang."

And with that in mind, Elizabeth left the house and got into her car before driving off to see Meliodas.

…

After a long 8 hour journey, Elizabeth had finally arrived at the University of Camelot. The campus was massive with tons of students walking around. She pulled out her phone and sent Meliodas a text.

Elizabeth: Hey, I just arrived! Where are you?

After a minute, she got a reply.

Meliodas: I'm in the union building. The one with the big dragon statue. Can't wait to see you!

Elizabeth looked up and saw the building almost immediatly. She smiled and began to head over.

When she arrived, she pushed open the heavy oak door and was immediately hit by the rancid smell of booze and smoke. She walked in, timidly, looking for Meliodas. Soon she spotted him, sitting at a table.

"Yo Elizabeth!" he chuckled, waving at her. Elizabeth had told herself earlier to act cool when she saw him, but now that she was actually here with him, she couldn't control herself.

"Meliodas!" Elizabeth cried out, running across the room," I'm so happy to see-"

Sitting next to Meliodas was a beautiful, busty girl with green hair in a ponytail who was all over him, her hand on his shoulder as she giggled. Elizabeth felt herself freeze up inside. It was just as she feared. But she couldn't just stand there, looking like an idiot. She had to keep going.

She started to walk towards them again, before she was finally at the table. Before she could say anything, Meliodas had jumped up and hugged her.

"I'm so glad you're here, Elizabeth," Meliodas whispered, before pulling away with a cheeky grin.

"Who's this, Meliodas?" the girl at the table asked sweetly.

"This is my girlfriend, Elizabeth," Meliodas smiled, pulling Elizabeth onto his lap. She squealed in shock and her face turned red as several patrons turned to look at her. She felt herself shrink. Great.

"_The_ Elizabeth?" the girl laughed innocently, before turning back to Elizabeth," Well, it's a pleasure to finally be able to put a face to the name, Ellie! I'm Denzel."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Elizabeth murmured, extending her hand shyly. Denzel grabbed and shook it enthusiastically.

"She's so cute, Meli," Denzel giggled to Meliodas," All red just like you said!"

"Yep!" Meliodas chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.

"Well then," Denzel grinned, turning to the bartender," Deathpierce! Three shots of tequila over here!"

"Elizabeth can't drink yet," Meliodas interrupted. Denzel nodded, before turning back around.

"Make that two shots and a glass of coke," Denzel yelled, before turning back to Elizabeth," Is coke okay sweetie?"

Elizabeth nodded, her heart sinking. She felt so childish.

As the drinks were brought over, Elizabeth could only hope that the rest of the day would get better.

…

Unfortunately, Elizabeth wasn't that lucky.

Denzel and a few other college students had joined them for the whole day and they discussed things like clubbing, work, and university issues that Elizabeth couldn't contribute to due to her lack of experience.

"Wanna play pool?" Meliodas suddenly said. This led to a mass of cheers as everyone got up and headed to the pool table in the centre of the room.

"Do you wanna play Elizabeth?" Meliodas asked. Elizabeth decided not to since she didn't want to embarrass herself anymore.

The rest of them grabbed the pool cues and began to play. It was fun, watching everyone try to aim for the white ball and miss due to their drinking session earlier on. But then it happened.

"I can't hit it!" Denzel groaned, after she missed for the 5th time.

"Here, let me help," Meliodas said, walking behind her. He put his arms around her, grabbing the pool cue.

"Here, you line it up like this…" Meliodas continued, not noticing Elizabeth's face crumble as she watched the pair. Even in the shabby bar lighting, she could still see way she pressed against him, how close he was to her face. She couldn't keep watching this. She pushed past a few onlookers and quickly left the Union.

"We did it!" Meliodas and Denzel cheered, jumping up and down.

"Hey, Ellie, did you just see-" Meliodas laughed as he turned to where Elizabeth was supposed to be, but stopped when he didn't see her," Elizabeth?"

"Has anyone seen Elizabeth?" Denzel asked.

"I think she just left," someone slurred.

"It's pouring out there!" Denzel gasped. Sure enough, it was though the Heavens had opened, flooding the area.

"I'm going after her," Meliodas exclaimed, as he turned to leave. Someone grabbed his shoulder, stopping him. He turned to see Denzel.

"Wait!" she said, rushing back to their table before heading back," Here!"

In her hands was a black umbrella.

"Thanks Denzel!" Meliodas yelled as he ran out.

The doors closed and Denzel sighed, before looking out the window.

"I hope they're both alright."

…

"Stupid… rain!" Elizabeth scowled, as she tried to find her car. However, the heavy rain made it impossible to see anything.

Suddenly the rain stopped. Elizabeth sighed but quickly realised that the rain was still falling. Just not on her.

"Leaving so soon?" Meliodas chuckled behind her.

"Maybe," Elizabeth muttered, looking away from him.

"Elizabeth," Meliodas sighed, taking her hand," Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing is wrong."

"Really?" Meliodas scoffed, raising his eyebrows," Because why else would you run out into this storm?"

There was a pause.

"So Denzel's pretty, huh?"

"Eh?" Meliodas exclaimed, a confused look in his eyes," What are you talking about?"

"That's her name, right?!" Elizabeth snapped, turning to face him," Denzel? The girl who was all over you? And who you were all over as well?"

"What?"

"Don't play with me Meliodas," Elizabeth yelled," I saw the way she touched you earlier… how you were leaning all over her at the pool table… I… I… just…"

To Meliodas' surprise, Elizabeth began to sniffle. It was impossible to tell if she was crying though, due to the amount of rain she'd been in.

"A-are you jealous?" Meliodas whispered, still in shock.

"Maybe I am!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she began to cry," I mean, I felt like such a kid in there. I can't talk about and understand what you're doing with your life right now. You have all those pretty, confident girls around you. I… I feel like I'm holding you back from enjoying yourself."

"Don't say that!" Meliodas snapped, causing Elizabeth's eyes to widen.

"I was the one who asked you out," Meliodas continued," I was the one who insisted that you were my prom date, even though you were a Freshman."

"Meli…" Elizabeth whispered, but he continued on.

"I think about you all the time," Meliodas continued, his voice full of passion and love," I talk about you, dream about you. No other girl can make me feel like… this."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm hot and cold, feverish with desire for you. I want you so bad, just your smile drives me insane."

Elizabeth felt herself turn red.

"R-really?" she stammered. Meliodas' eyes hardened and he sighed.

"It looks like I need to show you," Meliodas murmured, casting the umbrella to the ground and pulling her down to him. Their lips met and it was like fireworks. Feelings that had built up since the last time they'd seen each other now poured out. His hands were furiously massaging at her back, each pull and push making her gasp into his mouth. Her own hands were now in his hair, pulling at it and relishing in his groans. Finally, they had to pull apart, blushing and panting as they stared into each others eyes.

"I love you so much, Elizabeth," Meliodas murmured, as he pulled her into a hug.

"I love you too," Elizabeth whispered.


	22. Veronica and Violets

"I was only doing it to protect you!"

"Protect me?! You got me into so much trouble!"

"You can't do stuff like that!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

…

Earlier that day

….

Elizabeth sighed as she grabbed her wicker basket. She decided to surprise her older sister, Veronica by picking some violets for her. They hadn't had the chance to chat recently and she wanted to give her a small surprise. She knelt on the grass, grabbing her gardening tools as she prepared to cut the flowers.

However, just as she went to cut the first violet, she heard some commotion and swearing nearby. In particular, her sister swearing. Elizabeth could recognize her sister's voice from anywhere. It was coming from around the corner, near the stables. Setting down her basket, Elizabeth crept silently and quickly to the corner, peeking out. She had to hold back a scream.

Veronica was on the ground, wrestling under a man. She was clearly at a disadvantage and was about to lose.

Elizabeth gasped and turned, running into the castle, looking for help. She quickly spotted her father and some guards.

"Father!" Elizabeth cried out, running towards them.

"Elizabeth!" Bartra replied, his smile dropping as he noticed her worried expression," What is the matter?"

"It's Veronica! She's being attacked!" Elizabeth babbled. Her father's eyes widened in horror.

"Where?" he asked sharply.

"Near the stables."

"Go!" Bartra yelled at the guards near him, who immediately obeyed. Bartra and Elizabeth followed quickly behind them.

They soon rounded the corner and sure enough, Veronica was still wrestling the man. Both were covered in dirt and a few scratches.

"Step away from the Princess!" one of the guards yelled, causing Veronica's attacker to jump back, his eyes widening in fear. Veronica sat up and scowled.

"What's going on?" Veronica exclaimed, looking frustrated. Elizabeth's jaw dropped. Why wasn't Veronica happy? They'd just saved her.

"I think I should be asking you that," Bartra said cooly as he drew near her.

"I'm just taking a few fighting lessons from one of the younger Holy Knights," Veronica groaned," I'm fine!"

"A princess shouldn't be wrestling!" Bartra snapped, before turning to the boy," Go. Before I decide to strip you of your title."

The boy gulped and ran, not even looking back.

"And you!" Bartra exclaimed, turning to Veronica," Go to your room!"

"Seriously?" Veronica groaned.

"Now." Bartra said, sternly.

"Fine!" Veronica spat, pushing past him and the guards. She saw Elizabeth and stopped.

"You told father didn't you?" Veronica glared.

"I was only doing it to protect you!"

"Protect me?! You got me into so much trouble!"

"You can't do stuff like that!"

"Don't tell me what to do!"

Elizabeth felt her eyes sting from tears as her sister ran into the castle, the oak door slamming.

…

Meliodas wandered around the castle, bored. There hadn't been any fights or missions for the Sins lately and he was getting a bit antsy. He paused at a window as he saw someone on their knees in the flower gardens. It was a bit odd as the sun was about the set. He decided to investigate.

He got down to the gardens and as he neared the person, he recognized her silver hair anywhere.

"What's up Elizabeth?" Meliodas grinned as he sat down next to her.

"Hi Meliodas," Elizabeth mumbled sadly. Meliodas frowned.

"What's up, buttercup?"

"I got Veronica into trouble earlier."

"Ah, I think I heard something about that."

"But it wasn't on purpose!" Elizabeth exclaimed, turning to face him," I was just trying to help her!"

"I know that," Meliodas sighed, picking at the grass. There was a silence between them until Elizabeth spoke.

"Do you have any siblings, Meliodas?" Elizabeth asked. Meliodas froze for a moment.

"Two."

"Really?" Elizabeth gasped, sitting up. He'd never mentioned this before," Where are they?"

There was a pause.

"They're not here," Meliodas said firmly.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Elizabeth said softly, her eyes widening.

"They're still alive," Meliodas clarified," But they're not here."

"Ah," Elizabeth hummed," Then you understand what I'm saying then."

"Well, I was the oldest sibling," Meliodas smiled softly before it faded," and I wasn't a great brother."

"I don't believe that!" Elizabeth said firmly.

" It's true. But I remember once, when Zeldris was little, he wandered off on his own," Meliodas continued, making sure to edit his story to not raise any questions," I finally found him, attacking an… animal…"

Well, more like a demon, but Elizabeth didn't need to know that.

"What happened?" Elizabeht said softly, her eyes full of concern.

"I killed the animal and spanked him," Meliodas chuckled," he wasn't too happy about that, but I needed to teach him a lesson. Afterwards, he said he hated me and he was fine on his own."

"But you were just trying to protect him," Elizabeth exclaimed.

"But I overreacted," Meliodas countered, turning to her," I should have talked to him, not hit him."

"D-did I overreact?" Elizabeth thought silently to herself.

"How did you make it up to him?" Elizabeth asked.

"I snuck into our kitchen and gave him his favorite treat," Meliodas grinned.

Elizabeth nodded slowly, her eyes scanning the garden. There, near the violets, was her basket from earlier.

"I need to do something," Elizabeth said as she stood up," Thank you, Meliodas!"

"No problem, Ellie," Meliodas said softly, a small smile on his face.

…

Veronica scowled as she flipped through a book about swords absentmindedly. She was still mad at Elizabeth but she felt kinda bad about how she'd yelled at her earlier on. Her little sister was always overprotective. It was done purely out of love. Suddenly there was a knock at her door.

"Just coming!" Veronica yelled, getting up and walking to the door. She opened the door, to reveal Elizabeth holding a bouquet of violets.

"Elizabeth, what are you do-"

"I'm sorry!" Elizabeth exclaimed, holding out the flowers," I… I overreacted earlier."

"Thanks," Veronica smiled, taking the flowers," I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

And with that, the two sisters embraced.


	23. Weddings and Wishes

**Sorry for being away for so long. I have been really busy lately but I feel that now's the perfect time to release the next chapter so enjoy!**

**Pookiepoodle xx**

"Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth sighed as she got up from her chair. She was getting to the best part of her new book when Veronica began shouting on her.

"Yes, Veronica?" she called out.

"Look what I found!" her sister yelled back. Elizabeth took a deep breath before going off to find her sister.

It didn't take long. Elizabeth walked into her and her sister's comfy sitting room where Veronica and Margaret where sitting, surrounded by tons of clothes, jewelry and other bits and bobs.

"What's going on?" Elizabeth asked as she took in the chaotic scene," Why are there clothes everywhere?"

"Oh, they are not clothes, Ellie," Veronica grinned, looking like a fox who'd just found its prey.

"They're costumes," Margaret smiled innocently.

Too innocently.

Elizabeth felt her body freeze. Slowly she began to step backwards.

"Oh how wonderful," she laughed nervously.

"Where do you think you're going?" Margaret asked sweetly.

"Oh you know," Elizabeth babbled, continuing to go back until her back hit the door," Out…"

"Oh no Ellie," Veronica smirked," you're not going anywhere."

Elizabeth turned quickly and tried to pull the door open, but to her horror, the door wouldn't open.

"What?!"

"We have some help," Margaret laughed as she and Veronica made their way to the terrified girl.

"No," Elizabeth whimpered," please…"

…

Meliodas wandered around the halls, looking for a certain silver haired girl to sexually harass. Her blushing face always made him laugh. But to his surprise, he saw Gilthunder and Griamore standing guard at the princesses sitting room.

"Yo Gil!" Meliodas exclaimed as he got closer," What's up, guys?"

"We've been asked to keep Elizabeth from escaping," Gilthunder sighed. Meliodas was confused for a second, but suddenly he remembered.

"Costumes?" he asked.

"Yep," Gilthunder sighed.

"Poor Princess Elizabeth," Griamore mumbled.

From the moment Elizabeth had joined the royal family, Veronica and Margaret had used their youngest sister as a doll, dressing her up in adorable clothes. Elizabeth loved it when she was younger, but as she got older, she dreaded the sessions. It had been a while since the last was forced to participate in their "game".

"Oh my goodness, you look so beautiful!" Margaret squealed from inside. Meliodas could hear everything happening in the room.

"I don't know…" Elizabeth mumbled quietly.

"Oh please!" Veronica scoffed," You look great!"

"Oh Ellie," Margaret suddenly wept," You're getting so much older…"

"Don't cry Maggie!" Elizabeth cried out. Meliodas could hear footsteps approaching the door and a few seconds later, the door was flung open by a teary eyed Margaret.

"What's wrong, love?" Gilthunder exclaimed as Margaret rushed at him, hugging him tightly.

"It's Ellie," she sobbed," she's so grown up!"

Meliodas walked into the room, to see what exactly was going on. His heart stopped.

Elizabeth was standing in the center of the room, wearing a wedding dress.

The dress clung to her delicious curves and flowed out at the bottom. It was simple, with little decor, but she looked so pure. Her hair was let down and curled. Her bangs had been pinned back, so her goddess symbol was gleaming in the light. On her head was a small crown and veil.

"Wow…" Meliodas uttered, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Meliodas!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her cheeks burning brightly.

"You look beautiful," Meliodas chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"Thank you," Elizabeth replied quietly. There was a pause between them.

"So-"

Before Meliodas could continue, there was a small commotion outside.

"One second!" Meliodas grinned as he went outside. The two older sisters and their respective lovers (though Veronica still denied it) were crouched on the floor, their hands pressed against their ears.

Ban was standing at the end of the hall, singing.

"Oh where's the captain? The captain, the captain."

"The captain promised to spar….

"With me!"

"Oh where's the captain? The captain…"

Ban continued to harass everyone as he stood in the hallway, belting out his tune. His voice sounded like a drowned cat being brought back to life via electric shocks and then getting run over slowly. In short, it was horrible.

"Make him stop!" Griamore growled at Meliodas.

"Sure thing!" Meliodas chuckled, going up to Ban," You ready?"

"Finally!" Ban exclaimed loudly," What was keeping you?"

There was a pause.

"Something important."

...

Later that evening, as Meliodas lay in his bed, his mind kept wandering back to Elizabeth. The image of Elizabeth in a wedding dress stuck with him and he even nearly lost against Ban due to his lack of concentration. Nearly.

The idea of Elizabeth in a wedding dress made his heart ache. That had always been one of his wishes, to marry the girl. Even with the first Elizabeth. He remembered with a smile how she'd had to explain what marriage was to him, who, as a demon, was only used to the idea of mating. She'd laughed at him and talked about the beautiful ceremony, the food, the dancing, the rings and (most excitedly) the dress.

"It's just a piece of cloth I'll be ripping off your body," Meliodas had smirked," What's the big deal?"

"Dummy!" Elizabeth had pouted, giving him a light punch," It's important to me. It's something that I'll only ever wear once and it represents the bride's purity which she'll be giving up to the groom. Plus I want to look nice."

The memory made Meliodas sad. No Elizabeth had ever had the chance to wear a wedding dress. It was only after her death that he understood what she meant. Meliodas had decided then that once the curse was broken, Elizabeth would get to wear her white dress.

The sight of his princess wearing the dress today had brought the memories and his promise back and as he closed his eyes to sleep, he muttered something to himself, a tear crawling down his cheek.

"I just wish she could wear it for real."


	24. X-rated and X-rays

Elizabeth groaned as she walked into her boyfriend's apartment. Well, technically it was Meliodas' and his friend Ban's apartment. The two men had opened a bar together earlier in the year, which happened to be below their flat. So when Meliodas had suggested the gang get together and hang out at their place, Elizabeth immediately went to grab her cleaning supplies, because she knew lay behind their front door.

Meliodas was a great guy. He was funny, charming, handsome and treated Elizabeth like a queen. No, a goddess! But everyone had a fatal flaw and his was messiness.

She was right to be concerned. Pizza boxes and other takeaway containers across the kitchen were now petri dishes. Dirty laundry was strewn across the floor and the place looked like it hadn't seen vacuum since the last time Elizabeth had cleaned it which had been a few months earlier.

Sighing, Elizabeth got to work, grabbing some rubber gloves and a bin bag. She made her way through each room, tidying up and tossing out trash. It was a lot of work but after a few hours, she was nearly done. The place was bright and smelled like lemons. The med student couldn't help but feel proud of herself. Turning into the living room, she saw a video game lying on the table.

"Ill just put it away," she thought to herself, as she took the game to the cupboard. As she opened it, a pile of dvds fell on top of her.

She was about to let out a string of curses when something caught her eye. She picked the object up to get a better look.

It was a DVD case with the title," X-rays" scrawled in black pen.

"Why does Meliodas have this?" Elizabeth muttered to herself as she examined the case. He and Ban were bartenders, not doctors. Then again…

"Maybe it's for me?" Elizabeth smiled. The girl was in her last year of medical school after all and her boyfriend had, in the past, gotten her medical related gifts. She still had the adorable red blood cell plushie he'd given her for valentines day. Grabbing the dvd, she popped it into the player and clicked play.

After a few seconds, the dvd began to play, showing a man lying in a hospital bed. He had two casts on his arms and looked bored. Suddenly, the camera panned to the door where a busty female nurse walked in.

Elizabeth frowned as she took in the girl's uniform. Nurses didn't really wear dresses and not that short. And didn't the woman know that wearing high heels was a big no no. But Elizabeth continued to watch.

"How are you, Mister Bill?" the nurse purred, leaning over the patient. Elizabeth was even more confused. Why was their dialogue? She thought this was an educational video.

"I'm fine," the man smirked, eyeing the woman's breasts which were about to pop out of her uniform," a little… tense."

For some unknown reason, they're was an x-ray machine next to them and the nurse grabbed one of the prints.

"It seems as if you've broken a bone,"

Elizabeth was completely lost. There's no way a nurse should be allowed to examine x-rays and come up with conclusions. That was the radiologist's job.

"Which one?"

The woman placed her hand on the man's chest before looking down at him with a smirk.

"This one."

The woman reached over and grabbed the mans hospital gown, lifting it up to reveal the man's… friend. She then began to "shake hands" with it.

Elizabeth was frozen in horror. She couldn't even hit pause. This wasn't an educational video. It was porn!

She was so shocked that she didn't even hear the door opening as Meliodas stepped in, carrying some groceries for the evening.

"Hey Elizabeth, how you-" Meliodas began before his jaw dropped, as well as the shopping bags in his hands. His sweet innocent Ellie was on the couch, watching porn.

Hearing Meliodas's voice, Elizabeth jumped, her face quickly turning red.

"I-it's not what it looks like!" she squeaked, attempting to find the remote which she'd managed to lose. Great.

"Really?" Meliodas smirked, leaning against the kitchen counter," Because it looks like my girlfriend is watching porn."

Elizabeth finally found the remote and turned the TV off before turning to face her boyfriend. She quickly get rid of her embarrassment. After all, it wasn't her that should be a bright red mess, oh no. It should be the owner.

"Why do you have this?" she asked sternly.

"Eh?"

"Don't play dumb!' Elizabeth glared," Am I not enough for you, Meliodas?"

"What-"

"I mean… this is just sick!" Elizabeth snapped, gesturing to the tv," Tarnishing the medical community with this… filth! I have a good mind to-"

"It's not mine."

"Eh?" Elizabeth paused, the cogs in her mind slowly beginning to turn as she took in what he said.

"It's Ban's," Meliodas muttered, feeling bad about ratting out his friend.

"O-oh," Elizabeth stuttered, her face growing red once again. Great. She was watching her boyfriend's roommates porn.

"Do you really think I'd have something like this?" Meliodas chuckled, walking up to his girlfriend," When I have a girl like you right here?"

Elizabeth couldn't even speak.

"I love you Elizabeth Liones," Meliodas smiled, placing his hand on her face, his thumb caressing her cheek.

"I love you too Meliodas," Elizabeth blushed, managing to give her boyfriend a small grin.

"Now then," Meliodas smirked," I suggest we don't mention this little incident to anyone!"

And so the couple kept their mouths shut, even when they saw Ban and Elaine snuggled up on the couch later.


	25. Yarn and Yeast

As a princess, Elizabeth was required to take many classes, along side her older sisters. Given their noble status, their education was vast and rich. Tutors from faraway lands came to teach the girls about many subjects like geography, culture, maths and diplomatic matters. Elizabeth excelled in all of her classes and was often called a "teacher's pet" by Veronica. However, there was one class she was struggling in.

Home Economics.

Even though they'd never be expected to do these kind of tasks, the King had thought it would be beneficial for the girls to learn the skills many others their age would be learning. After all, a princess should be able to help her people in all ways.

Their instructor was a kind old woman from the kingdom who was renowned for her skills in baking and sewing. She would come to the castle once a week to teach her royal students.

Margaret was, of course, the woman's star pupil. The eldest princess was able to sew beautiful shirts and could turn a few simple ingredients into a delicious meal.

Veronica was surprisingly good as well, though Elizabeth could see that the instructor was getting tired of the items being created like sword sheaths and trousers.

Elizabeth tried her hardest each time. However, it was her fatal flaw that kept her from succeeding.

Her clumsiness.

Each time she came to the class, she'd leave with flour in her hair, multiple pin pricks on her fingers and the smell of smoke stuck to her clothes. The mess she'd leave behind was enough to make their teacher's eyes prick with tears of despair.

So when her instructor had given them a task to complete, Elizabeth knew she was done for.

"The task," the woman had begun," is to make a loaf of bread and to create a gift for someone of your choice. A week from today, I'll return. You will make your bread then."

Once the woman had left, Margaret had immediately set about making her beloved Gilthunder a new set of clothes. Veronica smirked as she watched her sister begin to cut the outline of a pair of trousers out of a piece of dark blue cloth.

"Guess you know his measurements of by heart, huh?" Veronica grinned, causing Margaret to blush.

"And what are you making?" Margaret asked, quickly changing the topic.

"I thought I'd make Griamore a wallet," Veronica muttered," He's always losing his coins."

"What about you Ellie?" Margaret asked sweetly.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth confessed, biting her lip," I'm not great at this."

"What about something for Meliodas?" Veronica suggested.

"You could knit him a scarf!" Margaret smiled.

"A scarf?"

"Sure," Margaret grinned," A scarf isn't too difficult and it's something practical!"

…

And so, Elizabeth was now sitting in her room, attempting to knit Meliodas a scarf. She'd chosen a beautiful shade of green for her yarn. When she saw the ball of yarn, she immediately thought of his kind, emerald eyes. Unfortunately, that was the only nice thing about the scarf so far. She kept dropping her stitches and her sweaty palms were causing the yarn to molt.

Elizabeth didn't have time to restart though. The gift was meant to be given tomorrow after her class, meaning she'd just have to keep going. However she had another problem.

The bread.

There was no way she was going to be able to make a delicious bread tomorrow. It was more likely that the Boar Hat's little pig, Hawk, would fly before that happened.

Shaking her head, she glanced at the clock. It was 11:00 at night. The thought of sleep was so tempting at the moment, but she knew she had to keep going.

…

The next day, Elizabeth stood in the royal kitchen with her sisters, wearing her apron and headkerchief.

"Alright girls," the old woman smiled," You have exactly 4 hours to make me a beautiful loaf of bread. Go!"

The girls began to rush around, grabbing the different ingredients. To Elizabeth's surprise, everything was going well. She hadn't dropped the dough on the floor at least. Looking around, she realised she was missing something.

Her eyes rested on a small dish of brown powder

Yeast.

She grabbed the dish and paused. How much was she supposed to add?

Shaking her head, she proceeded to pour the contents of the dish into her bowl. That should do it.

She quickly kneaded her dough and placed it in a bowl before putting it in the proving shelf.

The old woman came into the room.

"Whilst your bread is proving, I thought it would be a good idea for you girls to give your gifts."

The three girls followed their teacher into a nearby sitting room where three men stood, excited.

'

"Now, Princess Margaret, why don't you go first?"

"Of course," Margaret smiled before turning to Gilthunder," I hope you like it, Gil."

Gilthunder began to unwrap the beautiful parcel. Inside was a set of navy trousers and a beautiful white linen shirt.

"It's lovely," Gilthunder mumbled, before hugging the princess," Thank you Maggie."

"Veronica," the woman said to the tomboy princess.

"Here ya go," Veronica smirked, tossing the poorly wrapped gift at Griamore, who began to unwrap it.

In his hand was a small leather wallet.

"Lady Veronica, thank you for your kindness," Griamore smiled, bowing," I shall treasure this forever."

"Yeah, yeah," Veronica blushed, looking away

"It's your turn Elizabeth," the woman said.

"Oh!" Elizabeth jumped, her face turning red," Y-yeah sure!"

Elizabeth walked up to Meliodas shyly.

"Whatcha got for me?" Meliodas grinned.

"Here!" Elizabeth exclaimed, pushing her gift into his hands. It was wrapped in green paper and seemed to be something soft. Unwrapping the gift, Meliodas had to hold back his chuckles.

Inside was a green… scarf? To be honest, it was a little hard to tell what it was. The gift was full of holes and looked molted. The teacher's face paled as she saw the gift.

"How… sweet?" the woman said, closing her eyes as if to make the horrid vision disappear.

"Do you like it?" Elizabeth asked nervously.

With everyone's eyes on him, Meliodas smiled and put the scarf on.

"I love it."

Elizabeth and Meliodas smiled at each other, in their own little world of happiness until they heard a scream.

Everyone rushed down the hall to the kitchen where a maid stood, shaking.

"What's going on?" Meliodas asked, reaching for his sword.

"The bread!" the woman gasped, pointing into the kitchen. Everyone peeked inside and gasped.

Elizabeth's dough had grown out of the bowl and was slowly engulfing the kitchen. The instructor let out a cry and proceeded to collapse onto the ground. Veronica ordered Griamore to carry the poor old woman to a nearby couch.

"Oh no," Elizabeth murmured, her face burning.

Soon, carts of dough were being taken away to be distributed amongst the bakers of the kingdom. The bakers were pleased by the gift but a little confused. However, once they heard of the incident, they chuckled and walked off with their goods.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth was curled up in her room, wishing that the ground would swallow her up. Her instructor was revived quickly via smelling salts and was quick to scold the youngest princess about her carelessness. Elizabeth had tried to keep composed, but she couldn't control the few tears which managed to escape. Once the woman saw this, she immediately changed her tone, comforting the young girl.

Elizabeth had offered to help clean up the dough, but her older sisters had sent her to her room, in the hopes that the young girl would calm down.

At the same time, Meliodas was making his way back to the castle. He had been unable to control his laughter as he helped clear away the dough. It was simply too funny. Elizabeth had always been clumsy, but this incident took the cake. However, he felt terrible for the poor girl. The story was already making its way around the kingdom and he knew that Elizabeth was a rather sensitive girl. She'd been making such good process in the class and he didn't want this incident to knock her confidence.

Looking down at the scarf still wrapped around his neck, he smiled and drew it up to his nose, taking in a deep breath. Despite the many holes, he knew he'd treasure this gift. After all, it was from his girl.


	26. Zippers and Zygote

**Hi my cuties!**

**So this is the final chapter of A to Z of Elizabeth's Childhood. I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who has been supporting me as I write this. Thank you for all the reviews and for taking the time to read this. **

**For this final chapter, we've gone a little farther into the future. Enoy!**

**Love, Pookipoodle**

**xx**

Elizabeth couldn't help but cry as she stared into the mirror.

It wasn't her fault she was like this.

No, it was Meliodas'.

She sat on her bed and continued to weep, oblivious to the sound of the creaking door.

"Hey, Ellie, I got you those pastries you wanted," Meliodas exclaimed as he walked into the room. His smile dissapeared though as soon as he saw his beautiful wife in tears. He quickly rushed over, the pastries now forgotten.

"What's wrong, Elizabeth?" he asked, his eyes now full of concern as he went to wipe her tears away. However, Elizabeth was quick, slapping his hand away.

"It's all your fault!" she yelled, moving away from him. Meliodas stood frozen in shock. Elizabeth had never hit him before.

"What's going on?" he asked after he found his voice.

"You,' she glared," made me fat!"

Meliodas quickly bit his cheek. If he laughed, he knew he would be a dead man.

"Goddess, you are not fat," Meliodas smiled, coming up behind her as he wrapped his arms around her belly," You're pregnant."

"I am too!" Elizabeth cried, gesturing to the floor. Meliodas looked down and wondered how he could have missed the chaos earlier.

Dresses were strewn across the room, some with rips in their sides. Her wardrobe was empty and all of her drawers had been rummaged through. Now he understood the issue.

"Honey, it's okay you don't fit into your clothes," he said softly," You're growing. It's fine."

The room went quiet. Too quiet for Meliodas' liking.

"Elizabeth?" he asked nervously. Slowly she turned to him, a sadistic smile on her face. The look in her eyes was a crazed one and it terrified Meliodas.

"Growing, you say?" she chuckled.

…

"What's with the expression, Captain?" Ban laughed as he slid his leader a tankard of ale.

"I'm in the doghouse Ban," Meliodas muttered, unknowingly touching his cheek where Elizabeth had continuously hit him until he was forced to retreat to the Boar Hat .

"What did you do?" King asked, floating over.

Meliodas explained the situation. His comrades were both father's already and they understood their Captain's mistakes.

"Oooh," Ban hissed," wrong move buddy."

"How?" Meliodas asked, genuinely confused.

"In her mind, you acknowledged that she's fat," King explained.

"So what should I do?" Meliodas asked, his eyes widening in horror.

"I might have an idea," King said as he called over to Diane who was chatting with Merlin," Hey Di?"

"Yeah?" she chirped, skipping over. In her arms was a tiny baby with dark brown curls and green eyes.

"Do you still have those maternity dresses I made you?"

…

Knocking on their door, Meliodas stood, the bag of clothes in his hand. He wasn't sure if this was going to work. But before he could leave, tHe door opened to reveal Elizabeth in a dressing down, her hair pulled away from her face.

"Hey," Meliodas said softly.

"Hello," Elizabeth muttered, a small pout on her face as she looked away. Meliodas sighed. So she still hadn't forgiven him.

"I have a gift for you!" he exclaimed as he walked into their room.

Elizabeth took the bag from him and pulled out a dress. It was a pale violet with little black polka dots over it. Slowly, her face turned bright red and she began to shake.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Elizabeth scoffed, her eyes filling with tears," I can't fit into this!"

"Wait, Elizabeth!" Meliodas exclaimed, grabbing her hands before she could rip the dress to pieces," Please, trust me."

Elizabeth finally nodded and dropped the dressing gown. Meliodas gulped, taking in her perfect breasts and beautiful bump. He quickly calmed himself, knowing now wasn't the time. He moved behind her and helped her put her feet into the dress. When it was on, he grabbed the "zipper" as King had called it, and slid it up. It didn't stall in its journey until it reached her neck.

"So, what do you think?" Meliodas grinned as he peered at her reflection in the mirror. She was stunning, as usual.

"I-it fits!"

"Sure does!"

"B-but how?" Elizabeth asked, unable to take her eyes off her reflection. The fabric was soft and hung around her belly perfectly, making her look like some kind of painting.

"Diane wanted you to have these," Meliodas grinned," King made them for her. The back is done up by a zipper so it's a lot easier than all those buttons."

"It's really pretty," she whispered.

"The dress is alright," Meliodas chuckled before placing a kiss on her neck," It's you that's pretty."

"I'm sorry for earlier," Elizabeth blushed," I've just been really emotional lately."

"It's fine," Meliodas said, before bending down to face her belly.

"You already have your daddy wrapped around your little finger, huh?" Meliodas murmured, placing a kiss on Elizabeth's swollen stomach.

"I love you, Meliodas," Elizabeth sighed, staring down at her husband.

"I love you too, Elizabeth."


End file.
